Barcelona are making plans in case Ousmane Dembele leaves the club on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign. The Frenchman’s deal expires at the end of June and he is yet to agree an extension.
The Catalan giants have lined up Leeds United winger Raphinha as a potential replacement for Dembele and have already agreed personal terms with the Brazil international, as reported by Goal’s Thiago Fernandes.
However, “negotiations with Leeds have now been put on hold until the end of the season” as the Whites are currently embroiled in a battle against relegation from the Premier League.
Barcelona are also busy “freeing up space in Xavi’s squad and salary cap for further reinforcements to be drafted in.” The Catalans have drawn up a contract for Raphinha that will run until 2027 and see his salary doubled.
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Raphinha Price Drops If Are Leeds Relegated
Leeds currently sit one place and one point above the relegation zone but have played one game more than Burnley in 18th place. The Whites will drop into the bottom three if Burnley avoid defeat against Aston Villa on Thursday, May 18.
All Premier League teams will then play their final fixtures of the 2021-22 campaign on Sunday, May 22. Leeds are away at Brentford and Burnley host Newcastle United at Turf Moor.
Leeds will know their Premier League fate is out of their hands but hope is not completely lost yet. If Jesse Marsch’s side do go down then Raphinha’s release clause will drop to €25 million ($26m).
Raphinha “has his heart set” on a move to Barcelona and has already rejected contract extensions talks with Leeds. Sunday’s match could therefore be the 25-year-old’s final game for the Yorkshire side.
Dembele Future Still Uncertain
Meanwhile, Dembele’s future remains uncertain ahead of Barcelona’s final La Liga fixture of the 2021-22 campaign. The Catalans sign off what has been another chaotic campaign at home to Villarreal on Sunday.
President Joan Laporta has spoken about Dembele ahead of the game and admitted he is still not sure if he will stay. The club chief told Catalunya Radio that the Frenchman “is very tempted by other options” but he hopes he will continue at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona are due to meet with Dembele’s agent, Moussa Sissoko, one final time after the game against Villarreal, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. Interest in the attacker is growing with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich both keen on the 25-year-old.
Dembele has played 30 times for Barcelona in all competitions in the current campaign, scoring once and contributing 13 assists. He currently tops the assists chart in La Liga ahead of the final round of fixtures on 13, one ahead of Karim Benzema.
The match against Villarreal could then be Dembele’s final game in a Barcelona shirt after five years at the Camp Nou. The forward did not make it off the bench last time out against Getafe but is expected to feature against Unai Emery’s side.
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Barcelona ‘Agree Personal Terms’ With Dembele Replacement: Report