Barcelona president Joan Laporta has again stated that the club would like Ousmane Dembele to commit his future to the club after the Frenchman rejected several contract extension offers made to him.
Dembele is set to be a free agent when his contract runs out in the summer. The forward has reportedly turned down several contract extension offers from Barcelona due to wage disagreement and could be tempted to run down his current contract and join another club in the summer.
Laporta and the club in general are not happy that Dembele has refused to sign a new contract at Barcelona which could only mean they risk losing him for free when his contract expires in June.
However, the club president has revealed the club remains hopeful that the 24-year-old will have a change of heart and commit his future to the Spanish giants.
What did Laporta say about the Dembele contract situation?
“Dembele knows our offer and knows that we always wanted him to stay. We hope he will think again at the end of the season,” Laporta told reporters.
“I’ve always said it, for me he’s one of the best in his position and we’ll see what happens at the end of the season. For now let’s focus on this season, we have a lot to say both in the Europa League and in the league.
“In football, you can never rule anything out. Look, he could not play and now he plays, and he plays well. But his contract extension does not depend on me.”
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Laporta’s stance on the Frenchman seems to have softened in recent weeks. The Barcelona president had threatened that Dembele will be dropped for not agreeing to renew nor agree to be sold.
What were the previous comments made by Laporta on Dembele?
After the close of the winter transfer window in January, Laporta had confirmed that Dembele had turned down options to leave Barcelona while also rejecting a contract renewal from the club.
“We presented him with two proposals and they were good,” Laporta said in February.
“We are very surprised that he did not accept. The last one was from an English club and he did not want to go, he preferred to stay here for six months.
“It is not good neither for him nor for the club, because his renewal gave us salary margin and we would not have been having to work until the last minute.
“The whole Dembele thing is difficult to understand. Xavi is working and has to think about next season. We think he has an agreement with another club. That’s what his agent has insinuated to us. We will act for the good of the club.”
Barcelona secured the services of Dembele in 2017, shovelling out €105 million to Borussia Dortmund. However, since his move, the World Cup winner has struggled to justify his price tag.
Injuries have been a major factor hindering his potential. In recent games though Dembele has begun to show flashes of what he is capable of.
While there is still no telling whether the 24-year-old would renew or leave, he seems to have decided to concentrate on his football which is so far benefiting the club.
Xavi’s take on the issue
Dembele scored in Barcelona’s latest 4-0 win against Athletic Club during the weekend. Speaking after the game, Barcelona boss Xavi admitted the Frenchman would need to be encouraged to extend his contract.
“He is a great professional,” Xavi said. “Let’s encourage him.”
When asked if Dembele was open to the extension, he added: “It’s not a question for me, it’s a question for the club, for Ousmane.”
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