Barcelona board unsure about Ousmane Dembele’s contract renewal

As we approach the final phase of the campaign, it is safe to assume that the renewal of Ousmane Dembele has become a priority for FC Barcelona.

The Frenchman has been in extraordinary form since the start of February, emerging as the creator-in-chief for a Barcelona team that has done well to remain in the top four race.

With a tally of 11 assists in 17 league matches this term, coach Xavi Hernandez has continued to put faith in the former Borussia Dortmund starlet and has urged the club to do everything they can in order to keep hold of beyond the summer.

However, according to a report from Diario SPORT, there is growing uncertainty among the Barcelona board members over the renewal of Dembele, with some of them not entirely convinced of the attacker’s importance in the team.

The contrarians argue the Frenchman is not as integral in the Barcelona setup and thus, altering the club’s financial structure in order to keep hold of him could ultimately prove to be a wasted investment in the long run.

The report comes in the wake of Barcelona’s poor performances in La Liga, with the Catalans recently succumbing to a 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano. They have almost lost to Cadiz and have only won once in their last four competitive outings.

During this period, Ousmane Dembele has not been involved in a single goal. It has led many to believe that the former Dortmund starlet was only enjoying a bright patch, and his form could dwindle further as we move towards the business end of the campaign.

Xavi, for his part, has continued to back Dembele and has been unequivocal in his desire to keep hold of the Frenchman.

But with the player struggling to make the difference in recent weeks, it will be interesting to see whether there might be any shift in Barça’s stance, in regards to the renewal of the explosive forward.