Barcelona looking to renew 25-year-old forward, expected to make new approach soon

Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele ran the show in the recent thrashing of Athletic Bilbao, playing his role in each of his side’s four goals on the night. 

The young Frenchman, who scored one and assisted three, impressed his manager to the extent that Barcelona are expected to bring back the topic of a potential renewal once again, reports reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

It must be remembered that Dembele was close to leaving the team during the previous winter transfer window as Barcelona worked towards a possible salary slash.

The diabolical state of affairs even prompted the Blaugrana to put an ultimatum on his head, but the winger eventually stayed put for the rest of the season.

As the new campaign approached, the parties involved somehow managed to settle on a middle ground, with the player agreeing to sign a new deal until 2024. The current deal reportedly sees him pocketing a whopping €16 million gross for the two seasons.

Now, looking at his growth under Xavi, the Catalan team is excited to enter into new negotiations and as reported by Romano, the Frenchman’s extension ‘will be key topic again soon for Barcelona’.

With four goals and seven assists across all competitions this season, Dembele is the second-highest scorer in his team. And while speaking after Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Athletic Club, Xavi mentioned how he wanted his winger to play at a top level. 

“For wingers, they can have good or bad plays. With Dembele, we want him to keep the good things. If you’re not playing well, sometimes you have to limit yourself and play more simply. He has to understand that,” explained the manager. 

“We want Dembele to always play at this level. That’s why I wanted him to stay and why I gave him so much confidence,” he added.

While the topic of Dembele’s extension is still far-fetched, one can expect the management to make a fresh approach by January 2023 or maybe after the end of the season.