Barcelona fans verdict on Ousmane Dembele: send him to the stands

Ousmane Dembele is not a popular figure around Barcelona at the present moment.

The 24-year-old has been with the Blaugrana since 2017 when the club splashed a massive sum worth around €135 million to sign him from Borussia Dortmund.

However, he has spent close to half his tenure at Camp Nou out on the treatment tables. Indeed, the Frenchman has missed as many as 104 matches for Barça – to put things into perspective he has featured in just 22 more games (126).

Dembele has not been a consistent performer either, netting just 30 goals in over four years at the club. But, the winger, now in the final year of his contract, demanded an outrageous salary of €40 million per season to sign a renewal, rejecting the Catalans’ current proposal.

With Barcelona not entertaining his audacious demands, the Frenchman is surely on his way out of the club in the near future. The Blaugrana have the option of cashing in on him in January, although it is unlikely that teams would come forward to sign him now when they can get him for free in the summer.

Barça could also exile him from the first-team squad until his contract runs out in six months – a tactic they utilised with Ilaix Moriba last summer until he secured a transfer to RB Leipzig. Or, they could maintain the status quo and Xavi Hernandez can keep using him till the end of the season.

Barça Universal conducted a poll on Twitter asking fans to vote on whether the club should continue playing Dembele or banish him to the stands for the second half of the campaign. And the verdict is in.

Poll: What should Barcelona do with Dembele now that he does not want to renew?

— Moriba style; to the stands for 6 months
— Xavi probably needs him; let him play

— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) December 30, 2021

72.5% of the total 11,435 voters want the Catalan giants to freeze him out of the side and make him watch from the sidelines until his contract runs out. The remaining 27.5% of the fans who voted wish that the 24-year-old continue as part of the team as Barcelona chase Champions League qualification.

The verdict from the supporters is clearly evident. Given the money that the Blaugrana have invested in him and the faith and patience that the club have shown in the French international over the years, the feeling is only natural.