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Barcelona will reportedly look to sell Ousmane Dembele this summer for as little as $60 million if the France international does not sign a contract extension at the Camp Nou.
The forward’s current deal expires in 2022 when he will be able to walk away for free, a scenario Barcelona does not want to entertain given the club splashed out €105m plus add-ons to land Dembele in 2017.
Dembele “has still not responded” to the contract renewal offer Barca made two weeks ago, according to Diario Sport. The Catalan giants want the 23-year-old to stay but “believe that the lack of interest from Dembele suggests he wants to leave for free in 2022.”
Barca can’t afford to risk losing Dembele for free and so “will put him on the transfer market this summer” if he does not extend his contract. The club “would ask for between €50m ($60m) and €60m ($72m)” for the attacker.
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Juventus in Talks With Dembele?
Dembele’s camp has reportedly already held negotiations with Serie A champions Juventus regarding a move in 2022 as a free agent, according to Diario Sport.
The Turin giants have “shown huge interest” in the 23-year-old forward and are willing to wait another year to bring him to the club rather than splash out at the end of the season.
According to the report, Juve only now need to “agree the commission and the salary” and could be willing to offer the France international a better financial offer than Barcelona.’
Coach Ronald Koeman spoke about Dembele’s future at the start of the month and made it clear he wants the forward to stay at the Camp Nou, according to Marca.
“Of course he is an important player, he has shown today with his game and especially with his goal,” he said. “Ousmane’s career this season is very good, physically he has improved a lot, it is the key to his consistency. If it’s up to me, of course, I’d like him to stay with us. ”
Dembele Back in Barca Squad
Meanwhile, Dembele is back in the Barcelona squad for Sunday’s La Liga match against Villarreal after missing Thursday’s win over Getafe at the Camp Nou because of “pelvic discomfort.”
Koeman spoke about the Frenchman at his pre-match press conference and highlighted just how important he has been this season after shrugging off the injury problems that have blighted his career at the Camp Nou to feature regularly.
“Dembele is an important player for us because he has a different profile. He can dribble, shoot with both feet,” he said. “If he’s in the squad, it’s better.”
There’s no doubt that Dembele has played a key role for Barca this season, but it would not be a surprise if the club opted to cash in over the summer, particularly if he does not sign a contract extension. Barca may also be looking to offload some big names due to the club’s precarious financial position.
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