BarcelonaThe puzzle with Ousmane Dembélé at Barça continues. Its renewal last July was a step forward. After months of frustrated negotiations, relations between the club’s sports leadership and the player’s representation broke down. He was even removed from the discipline of the first team. A punishment that Xavi Hernández, the main supporter of the Frenchman, had to accept during the last days of the winter market.
Finally, Dembélé ended up being renewed in the summer. The case reached a dramatic stage, with the ex-Borussia Dortmund man going to train despite the fact that his contract had expired and he had not yet signed the renewal. He had always maintained that he wanted to continue at the club, but his managers pulled the strings, waiting for more lucrative offers than Barça. Finally, an agreement was reached that provided for the renewal for two seasons, until 2024, and a termination clause that went from the prohibitive 400 million euros to 100. But, as the ARA has been able to confirm, with a concession: next summer, during the months of June and July, Dembélé could break his bond with the entity and leave for another club in exchange for 50 million euros.
Thrown into this scenario, there are several possible paths regarding the continuity or departure of Dembélé. In favor of the Frenchman, his desire to continue playing for Blaugrana is mentioned. The footballer’s environment assures this newspaper that Mosquit is eager to return to work and recover from the poor performance in the World Cup final, in which he was replaced before the break after having been a regular in the Didier Deschamps’ starting eleven. Xavi also continues to defend him, both internally and publicly. In a recent interview with Barça TV, the coach praised him again. Asked if he still thought he was the best “winger in the world”, Xavi said: “Yes, I think he is the best in his position.”
“Ousmane makes a difference. If not every game, every two. Since the beginning of the season [20 partits oficials], has already provided seven assists and scored five goals. There are no players of his type, especially taking into account the way we want to play: let him play, let him have one against one…”, developed Xavi. Of course, the coach also admits that he remains a player with many details to polish and that he must improve, especially in decision-making, to prevent the team from suffering risky situations because of his mistakes. “Sometimes he goes to 200 per hour and does not see the option of making a past, and he must see it.”
Xavi also assured in the interview that Dembélé feels “happy at Barça”. And what does the club think? In the sports world its continuity is not ruled out, but there is a division of opinion. There are influential voices close to the president Joan Laporta who consider that the French winger should continue at the club and, therefore, negotiate a new renewal – that continues to be adjusted to the financial guidelines of the entity -, and n there are those who assure that “there is no rush” to sit down with the footballer’s representatives. This scenario of relative calm predicts a hypothetical departure for Dembélé in the summer, a thesis that is also not ruled out in the noble offices of the Camp Nou. But, despite not being in a hurry to renew it, the entity is more in favor of extending the player’s bond: either to guarantee its continuity and thus satisfy the wishes of Xavi and the coaching staff, or to obtain a transfer greater than the 50 million euros for which he could leave the club in the months of June and July. If the footballer leaves, as ARA has already explained, there are alternatives at zero cost such as Marco Asensio, who continues without renewing with Madrid.
Raphinha, Memphis i… Go away
Dembélé’s departure would also help free up fair play financier, the great Achilles’ heel of the Blaugrana entity, which remains at enmity with the president of the League, Javier Tebas. The club has exceeded this plot by a figure that oscillates between 25 and 30 million euros. And, as already published by the ARA, the withdrawal of Gerard Piqué in the middle of the season is only a saving, in terms of fair play, of five million euros. For this reason, the club, which does not rule out getting some extra income via a sponsorship agreement, does not plan to strengthen the staff this winter market.
On the other hand, they would like to speed up the exit of Memphis Depay, although the Blaugrana managers have their necks down that the Dutch forward, who arrived at the hands of Ronald Koeman, will run out of the second year of his contract and will go free in the summer without leaving a pinch in the club’s coffers. If Dembélé’s departure was also completed in the summer, this would boost Raphinha, who has signed a discreet World Cup despite being a starter with Brazil. At Barça, the ex-Leeds United man is a substitute behind the Frenchman: Raphinha has played 856 minutes this season, compared to the Frenchman’s 1,289. In addition, Xavi anticipates the return of Abde, on loan to Osasuna, next season.
