Barcelona creative wizard demands €20 million plus bonuses to continue at club

With speculation rife over the contract situation of Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna has provided a new update on the developments surrounding the Frenchman.

Dembele has less than three months left on his current deal with the Blaugrana. Not very long ago, it looked like he would be on his way out when the contract expired. But there has been a dramatic change in the situation since, thanks to his stunning performances on the pitch.

Dembele has become a key member of Xavi Hernandez’s team and has played a key role in the team’s rise to second place in La Liga. The winger assisted his tenth goal of the league season on Sunday in the 1-0 win against Sevilla.

At the same time, his strong relationship with the manager has given renewed hope for a contract extension for the 24-year-old.

The club had been reluctant to reopen talks after everything that had happened around the winter window. But there has been a change of stance as reports on Monday indicated that Barça director Mateu Alemany had travelled to Morocco to meet with Dembele’s agent, Moussa Sissoko.

The Catalan giants may be warming up to the idea of entering talks over an extension, and the winger, too, remains open to staying at Camp Nou. However, he will not do so at any cost and the report from Santi Aouna has shed light on the contract demands made by the French ace.

It is claimed that Dembele wants a contract worth €20 million per year in addition to signing-on bonuses. However, according to recent claims, Barcelona are reluctant to hand him more than €8 million a year.

The report indicates that ex-Borussia Dortmund star’s agent, Sissoko, does not intend to change his position on the matter as he believes the winger is a potential Ballon d’Or winner and his wages should match that status.

While Dembele wishes to continue at Barcelona, it is claimed that he also has a verbal agreement with PSG and the ball is now pretty much in the Blaugrana’s court. Whether they are willing to meet his demands remains to be seen.