Barcelona contract talks are stalling with one of their key stars. Injuries have hampered the career of Ousmane Dembele thus far in Spain. The Frenchman was signed for huge money and up until a few months ago, he was very much an outcast. Times have changed though and with his contract soon to expire, the club are keen to keep him on board. They are failing to attract him into staying, as per Fabrizio Romano.
Will Ousmane Dembele Stay as Barcelona Contract Talks Stall
Dembele’s Team Are yet to be Appeased
At the moment for the Barcelona hierarchy, it is also about meeting the needs of Ousmane Dembele and his team. Another of big hitters across Europe, including Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, are said to be interested in signing him. What Dembele himself wants is up in the air with a lot of conflicting reports coming out.
Ousmane Dembele has come to the fore under the stewardship of club legend Xavi. He has become an assist king at the Nou Camp, leading the team by some way despite only playing regularly after Christmas.
Ousmane Dembélé is waiting for a meeting between Barcelona and his agent next week. Last Barça bid was considered "not satisfactory" – but it's still open. 🇫🇷 #FCB
New contract proposal is expected next week on the meeting with Ousmane's agent to try to reach an agreement. pic.twitter.com/JWNlXju4MA
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 20, 2022
The “last Barça bid was considered “not satisfactory” – but it’s still open.” The finances of the club have been a real mess in recent years, moving from the Bartomeu era to that of Joan Laporta. This made the signings of big names such as Adama Traore, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres in the winter, all the more difficult to understand.
Whilst they’re hardly transparent about how this comes about amongst the hierarchy of the club, the money is still there nonetheless. This seems likely to lead to Ousmane Dembele signing a new contract with the club although his mind is yet to be made up.
Where Else Could Ousmane Dembele Go?
As previously mentioned, PSG and Bayern Munich are amongst those interested in acquiring the services of Ousmane Dembele. Dembele played in his native France prior to playing for both Borussia Dortmund, and of course Barcelona. Meanwhile, the German giants have been linked with a number of forwards whether it be Dembele, Sadio Mane or Leeds United’s Raphinha.
Another club who have regularly been linked with the winger are Liverpool. Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota have both come through the doors in the last twelve months or so making this less likely. That being said, Mane could well be Bayern-bound and Dembele boasts a younger age profile in comparison to the Senegalese star, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah.
Ousmane Dembele could be playing for Barcelona at the start of next season, or for a multitude of other clubs. It truly is up in the air and a “new contract proposal is expected next week on the meeting with Ousmane’s agent to try to reach an agreement.” Where will the Frenchman sign his next contract?
