Everybody could see that Ousmane Dembele’s time at Barcelona was over, but then Xavi arrived and we’ve seen an unlikely turnaround in form from the French forward.
He’s had his injury issues that have prevented him from getting a proper run in the first team, but he has impressed under the new manager and has an impressive return of nine assists in his twelve La Liga appearances this season.
His contract runs out at the end of the season so he is allowed to negotiate with other teams already, but a report from ESPN has indicated that Barca are set to perform a dramatic U-turn and offer him another new contract after retracting their previous offer.
They cite a report from Foot Mercato which highlights Barca’s interest in keeping him, but it’s also thought that PSG could be in the frame alongside Newcastle and Man United if he does decide to move on.
It may not be a straightforward deal as it’s believed that Dembele’s agents are looking for around €20m per season as a net salary with a signing bonus on top of that, so there’s every chance that Barca could be outbid, or it could be that they simply don’t think it would represent good value for money.
His injury concerns still hang over him so he’ll see interest increase if he can stay fit and continues to impress between now and the end of the season, but Xavi’s impact on this team may also convince him that staying at the Nou Camp is the best thing for his career going forward.