Barcelona one step away from renewing Xavi’s beloved forward

Ousmane Dembele’s contract situation at Barcelona has been dominating the headlines for quite some time now.

The 24-year-old will soon be entering the final six months of his contract at Camp Nou, but there still remains a lack of clarity on his future. Barcelona, for their part, have been working tirelessly to try and extend his deal, but without any reward so far.

Dembele has been with the Blaugrana for over four years now, having signed from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017. Signed in a deal worth over €130 million including bonuses, the winger has failed to justify the massive price tag, although injuries have hampered him a great deal.

Indeed, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has missed close to 100 matches during his time at Camp Nou due to injury and fitness issues. Despite the problems, manager Xavi Hernandez and club president Joan Laporta have been desperate to keep hold of Dembele.

The pair have been constantly effusive in praise of the French international, with Laporta even going as far as claiming that the ex-Rennes prodigy was a better player than Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.

Progress in talks

Despite the charm offensive from the president, talks over a new deal have not yielded the desired result. Dembele’s agent, Moussa Sissoko, is seemingly pushing for a move away in search of a better contract for the Frenchman and a hefty commission for himself.

This has led to clubs across Europe keeping a close eye on the situation, with the likes of Manchester United, PSG, Bayern Munich all hoping to sign him on a pre-contract agreement next month.

However, things might be set to change now, according to a report from Fichajes, which claims that Barcelona are just one step away from renewing Dembele’s contract.

Indeed, club director Mateu Alemany has sent a message to the fans, claiming that the forward has informed the club of his desires to continue at Camp Nou, adding that a resolution could be reached before the turn of the year.

“Ousmane Dembélé always told us that he wants to stay here. We are at a key moment, we hope to resolve the situation before the end of the year,” Alemany said.

Xavi also commented on the situation prior to Barça’s La Liga clash against Elche, saying: “I spoke to Dembélé. He’s happy. He wants to stay. I can’t say anything more than that. Let’s be positive and hope he renews.”

All things point towards the former Borussia Dortmund sensation wanting to stay at Barcelona. The club will be hoping to reach an agreement at the earliest and put this whole episode in the rearview.