‘You are a shisha bar frequent, you are shameless!’: Journalist verdict on Dembele

The recent development regarding the contract situation of Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele has left a lot of sour taste among some sections of supporters.

The 24-year-old, who had been in talks over a new deal for months, decided to snub Barça’s latest contract offer as he sought an outrageous pay packet worth €40 million per year, which the club are refusing to meet.

With contract talks breaking down, the ex-Borussia Dortmund looks set for a departure from Camp Nou at the end of the season when his current deal runs out.

Talks with clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United are already believed to be underway, while reports from some quarters even indicate that the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has an agreement with Serie A giants Juventus.

Dembele’s antics have left some fans furious, who have taken to social media to hit out at the French winger. Some well-known journalists in Spain have also hit out at the former Rennes starlet, with Albert Lesan the latest to weigh in on the matter.

Speaking on 8TVcat, Lesan lashed out at the French winger, saying: “Mr. Dembélé, leave. You have received a huge salary for five years while being injured more than half the time. You have arrived late to training many times. Normally we hide this, but you’re a shisha bar frequent in Barcelona. You are shameless. You tricked Xavi!”

Manager Xavi Hernandez and president Joan Laporta had pinned their hopes on extending Dembele’s contract and had expressed confidence that the forward would continue at Camp Nou. However, the 24-year-old has decided against an extension unless his demands are met, which seems highly unlikely.

What remains to be seen is whether Barcelona decide to offload him in January or continue using him in the first team until the end of the season. There could also be a scenario where the club decides to exile him from the senior squad till his contract expires, at which point he can leave on a free transfer.