Ousmane Dembele has made a final decision on his future and will stay at Barcelona for the rest of the season.
The Frenchman has been linked with a move to Premier League side Manchester United ahead of the close of the transfer window on Monday.
Yet “sources at Barca and close to the player” have confirmed to Cadena SER’s Santi Ovalle that Dembele will continue at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona’s difficult financial situation means the club would have been willing to accept a permanent transfer or a loan with a purchase option if one had arrived.
Yet Dembele now seems ready to stay and fight for his place at the Camp Nou. His poor injury record means he has slipped down the pecking order, but if he can find his best form he will prove a useful asset for Ronald Koeman’s men.
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Dembele Behind Ansu
Koeman spoke about Dembele in his pre-match press conference on Saturday and made it clear he was work to do to get back into his starting XI. Teenager Ansu Fati has leapt above him in the pecking order and has three goals in his first two outings.
The new Barcelona boss noted how the 17-year-old is not the only player Dembele must battle in order to play regularly at the Camp Nou this season.
“First we have to say there’s a lot of quality players up front and in his position, he can play on the left or the right. Ansu’s there, Konrad’s there, Trincao, Griezmann, there’s a lot of players. It’s a tightly contested position in the team. This is where Ansu has played from the start and he’s in front of Dembele. The only thing I can try and say is that if the player is unhappy then he speaks with me.”
Dembele will be hoping for game time on Sunday when Barcelona take on Sevilla at the Camp Nou. The match is the Catalan giants’ third in week which means Koeman could look to make changes to freshen up his side.
The Frenchman certainly won’t forget his last outing against Sevilla back in October 2019. Dembele scored in a 4-0 win but was sent off two minutes from the end of the clash.
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Dembele Makes Final Decision on Barcelona Future