Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted that French forward Ousmane Dembele is not for sale despite continued speculation about the 25-year-old’s future at the club.
Laporta told SER Catalunya program Què T’hi Jugues that the World Cup finalist, who is out of contract in 2024, is not for sale and remains an important player for the Catalan giants, as reported by Sport.
“If PSG come to sign him, we will tell them he is not for sale, he’s one of the most important players that we have,” he said. “He has extraordinary speed, he’s a lightning bolt. Every time he gets the ball he upsets defences and yesterday he scored a great goal. He won’t go for €70m euros or any amount.”
Barcelona were embroiled in a transfer saga regarding Dembele last season when the forward ran down his contract at the Camp Nou. The winger eventually put pen to paper on a new deal but has only signed on with the Catalan giants until 2024.
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What Next For Dembele?
Laporta’s comments come amid speculation that Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing Dembele as a potential replacement for Neymar. Diario Sport report that Barca have told PSG they must pay €100 million to land the Frenchman.
Dembele’s release clause is currently set at €100m but drops to just €50m in June and July of 2023 and then returns to €100m on August 1, as reported by Marca.
All of which means the Barca attacker could be a target for clubs in the summer window, as €50m is an attractive price in the current climate. Barca may also be vulnerable to bids given their ongoing financial difficulties.
Dembele has struggled to live up to expectations during his time at the Camp Nou and has been plagued by injuries. However, he does some to have put his physical issues behind him and has impressed since Xavi took over the team in November 2021.
28 – Ousmane Dembélé has been involved in more goals than any other Barcelona player in all competitions with Xavi Hernández as manager (28 – 8 goals and 20 assists). Pillar.
Yet Barcelona won’t want to see Dembele head into the final year of his contract again, particularly given the problems they had persuading him to renew last season. Xavi and Laporta may therefore have a big decision to make if he does not agree another extension in the summer.
Dembele On Target In Barcelona Win
Dembele returned to Barcelona after the World Cup with a few question marks surrounding his form. The attacker was embarrassingly substituted in the first half of the final against Argentina after conceding a penalty.
However, the winger has played in both of Barcelona’s games since the tournament in Qatar and was on target in the Catalans’ 4-3 Copa del Rey win over Intercity on Wednesday, January 4.
Ousmane Dembélé with the cheeky chip 😏
#CopaBarça
Dembele now has 6 goals and 7 assists for Barcelona in 2022-23 and remains an influential player for Xavi, starting 11 of the team’s 15 league games so far in the current campaign.
Barcelona are clearly keen to keep hold of Dembele but speculation surrounding his future is unlikely to disappear unless he commits his long-term future to the Catalan giants.
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Barcelona Will Not Sell Forward For €70m, Says Laporta