Ousmane Dembele tells Barcelona of desire to sign new contract
By Tom Gott
French winger Ousmane Dembele has told Barcelona that he is keen to sign a new contract at the club this summer.
The 24-year-old, who saw his European Championships ended by a knee injury, is about to enter the final year of his contract and has not exactly been in a rush to put pen to paper on an extension.
Barcelona have been working to try and tie Dembele down to a new deal but have warned the Frenchman that he will be sold this summer if he does not agree. He cost over £130m four years ago and club officials do not plan to let him walk away for free when his deal expires.
The idea of a move to Manchester City has gained traction in recent weeks, but now Mundo Deportivo claim that Dembele has actually voiced a desire to stay at Barcelona for the foreseeable future.
The winger has made it clear to the club that he wants to sign an extension in the coming weeks, which may have something to do with the fact that Barcelona threatened to freeze him out completely if he didn't sign on.
Barcelona are now feeling as confident as they have ever been about being able to keep Dembele at the club, and there is almost a sadistic optimism that the knee injury he picked up this summer might impact his value to other clubs.
Talks are expected to step up in the coming weeks, with Barcelona keen for a quick resolution so they can figure out what else needs to be done in the transfer window.
If Dembele does sign a new deal, it might be a while until Barcelona can reap the rewards as Catalunya Radio state he is facing three months on the sidelines because of this latest injury. RAC1 even add that Dembele may end up needing surgery to repair the tendon in his knee, which could keep him out of action for even longer.
Barcelona's medical staff will be keeping a close eye on Dembele over the coming days to determine just how serious this injury really is, but his lack of action will give him plenty of time to discuss a new contract.
President Joan Laporta is a huge fan and sees Dembele as a star of both the present and the future, and getting the Frenchman to commit to a new deal has been one of his top priorities since he returned to Camp Nou.