FC Barcelona examine all options at Dembele: early contract termination?

Winter transfer rejected

President Joan Laporta has given coach Xavi the power to decide whether Ousmane Dembélé will continue to play for Barcelona. However, the club boss also hinted that the Catalans are considering the possibility of early contract termination. After failed negotiations about a contract extension, winger Dembélé should definitely be sold in winter in order to create financial leeway – but the 24-year-old has apparently rejected all offers from interested parties, which caused a lack of understanding among those responsible for Barça around Laporta.

“We will weigh all the options and I hope that we can make and implement the decision that is best for Barça’s interests. There are several options that I don’t want to evaluate right now because they are out of place in this press conference introducing Adama,” the 59-year-old said (quoted via “Mundo Deportivo”) on Wednesday as part of the presentation of newcomer Adama Traoré (26).

However, it is not excluded that Dembélé, who will leave on a free transfer in the summer at the latest, will appear again for the Blaugranas. “If Dembélé plays, the coach will decide, it’s his decision and we will respect his decision,” Laporta noted, but also said: “I think the coach is working for this season, for the immediate present, but also for the next season. And for a player who didn’t want to renew and who we certainly won’t have next season – because there has to be another club that has come to terms with him – it’s more difficult to play. Because we are rebuilding a team and the coach knows who to count on this year and next.”

FC Barcelona: President Laporta wants to avoid damage to Dembélé

The President once again expressed his regret that Dembélé’s agents “unfortunately did not accept the offer to extend the contract and we are at an impasse. I hope that the matter will be resolved in the club’s interest, but I don’t want the player to be harmed either.” The offer was valid until December 20th. “There hasn’t been an offer since.”

Dembélé has been linked with Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United on Deadline Day and in recent weeks. The financially troubled Barça invested a total of 55 million euros in the transfer winter: Ferran Torres (21) came from Manchester City for the same amount, Adama Traoré (26) was loaned from Wolverhampton Wanderers with an option to buy, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (32) made a free transfer from London.

To home page