Barcelona are to enter talks with Ousmane Dembele over a new contract in the coming days, according to Spanish reporter, Gerard Romero, via Twitch.
The French winger’s current contract is set to expire in June 2022 and will otherwise become a free agent if a deal is not reached. Dembele had previously been linked with a move to the Emirates, with Arsenal poised to find a replacement for Nicolas Pepe, who has failed to make a real impact since his £72m move to North London.
Barcelona’s sporting director, Mateu Alemany will meet with Moussa Sissoko, the forward’s agent, in Morocco this week, according to ESPN.
Alemany had hinted that Barcelona have changed their stance on Dembele, who had previously been told he was a surplus to requirements as recently as January, alerting the radar of Kroenke and Arsenal, who would have likely pursued Dembele as a free agent in the Summer. “For us, he can stay as long as [any agreement] remains within the club’s sustainable salary limit and is proportionate to his teammates”, Alemany said ahead of Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Sevilla.
??"El AGENTE de DEMBÉLÉ se ha reunido con el ARSENAL"
Lo está contando @alfredoduro1 en #ChiringuitoDembélé pic.twitter.com/uIfcbCbn9J
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) March 23, 2022
Dembele has had somewhat of a resurgence since the arrival of Xavi, after being left out of back-to-back matches towards the end of the January transfer window. Since then, Dembele has rewarded his manager, notching 10 assists in his 13 league matches played this season, according to Transfermarkt, as well as some eye-catching displays on both ends of the pitch. David Reverter, a local reporter stated, “Dembele has a lot of talent and everything you want… yesterday he participated more on a defensive level”.
This season’s rich vein of form has provided renewed optimism around the Barcelona camp, particularly for Dembele, who has often been plagued with injuries since joining the Catalan club in 2017. As Xavi looks to assemble his new-look Barcelona side, Dembele could play a key role, should a mutual agreement be reached over the coming days.