Barça are in talks to renew the contract of Ousmane Dembélé for at least two more seasons. The board has positive feelings about the negotiations and intends to close the Frenchman’s renewal before January 2022 when he will be allowed to speak to other clubs about his future.
According to the El Partidazo de COPE program, a meeting between the Barça board and Ousmane Dembélé’s entourage took place this Monday. Before the match against Granada, Laporta held a meeting with the Frenchman’s agent, Moussa Sissoko which was attended by Ousmane Dembélé himself. Also present at the meeting were the first vice president, Rafa Yuste, and the director of football, Mateu Alemany.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the meeting was cordial and they value the meeting positively. Barça have good feelings and are optimistic despite keeping a point of caution until they see the newly signed contract. Negotiation sources assure once again that the French winger is willing to extend his contract and continue to keep playing for the club, but they admit that it will not be an easy negotiation. It will take time to reach approaching positions and they do not foresee that it can be closed quickly.
The club is confident about Dembélé (24), who is still recovering from a long-term injury that he encountered in the European Championship. His return is scheduled for November. At the club, the Frenchman is considered an important asset, and Laporta has aimed to renew him since he became president. The club’s intention is to reach an agreement with the forward before next January when he would be allowed to speak to other clubs regarding his future.
The Catalan club would like to extend Dembélé’s contract for at least two more years over the one he already has, that is, until 2024, also to have the ability to go to the market if the player or club finally believes that it is the right thing to do in the future.
The French forward arrived at Barça four seasons ago following the departure of Neymar. Despite not being able to have the continuity he wanted due to injuries, he has already played a total of 118 games for Barça in which he has scored 30 goals and has provided 21 assists. During this stage, in addition, he managed to be world champion with the French national team.
