Dembele has 48 hours to respond to Barcelona’s contract renewal offer

Over the last week, there were a lot of reports claiming that Barcelona were well on track to close the contract renewal of Ousmane Dembele.

The Frenchman’s contractual situation has dominated the headlines for months now with a resolution yet to be arrived at. However, there were positive reports earlier this month that indicated that the club intended to put an end to the matter before the new year.

However, with New Year’s Day only a couple of days away, there has been no development. And, SPORT is now reporting that Barça have issued an ultimatum to the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner to respond to the club’s contract offer by December 31.

Xavi Hernandez has been full of praise of the ex-Borussia Dortmund star ever since he took over the reins of the club in November. The 41-year-old has, time and again, asserted that the club want to renew Dembele’s contract as he sees the winger as an important part of his tactical setup.

In order to convince him to sign the deal, the Blaugrana are believed to have proposed a contract that would make him one of the best earners in the first-team squad, despite the club’s financial situation.

And, as it has been reported previously on many occasions, Dembele’s wish is to continue at Camp Nou. However, his agent, Moussa Sissoko is holding up the deal, as he continues to push the 24-year-old to consider more lucrative offers from abroad, which would also guarantee him a hefty commission.

The French international, who is among the host of Barcelona players to have tested positive for coronavirus ahead of the game against RCD Mallorca, now has around 48 hours to inform the club about his decision on the contract.

Dembele will be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs starting January 1. Should things fail to resolve at the earliest, Barça may well be forced to consider the prospect of cashing in on him in the winter transfer window.