Barcelona close to matching contract rebel’s €20 million renewal demands

At this point, it is no secret that Barcelona held a meeting with the agent of Moussa Sissoko on Wednesday night in Catalonia to discuss the forward’s contract.

Not very long ago, club president Joan Laporta had insisted that there would be no renewal for the Frenchman after talks had broken down completely in January. Fast forward four months and the Blaugrana are renegotiating with the attacker’s agent Moussa Sissoko.

This change in stance was brought about by the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner’s fine form under Xavi Hernandez, who has managed to coax the best out of Dembele, unlike the previous managers he played for.

The 42-year-old has been constantly pushing for the French international to stay at Camp Nou, while Dembele himself has always prioritised continuing at the club, with the difference between wages demanded and offered being the major roadblock.

However, reports earlier today indicated that Wednesday’s meeting had gone well and there was an optimism that an agreement can be reached.

Now, Foot Mercato has come up with a fresh report claiming that the reason for an agreement being close is that Barcelona have increased their contract offer for Dembele, rather than him reducing his demands.

The 24-year-old had been asking for a deal worth €20 million in salary and bonuses and the Blaugrana have tabled a new deal that is very close to the demand made by the former Borussia Dortmund ace.

However, the deal is yet to be completely closed, and discussions are set to continue in a positive manner to finalise an agreement. As things stand, Dembele continues to be keen on staying at Barcelona but will not settle for any discounted offers from the club.

The report further adds that he continues to court interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe and is in a strong negotiating position. So, it remains to be seen if an agreement is finalised before the end of June.