Barcelona putting pressure on €130 million forward to sign a new contract

While Ousmane Dembele may be closing in on a return from injury for Barcelona, his contract situation is far from being resolved. The 24-year-old has entered the final year of his current deal with the Catalan giants, and an extension is yet to be agreed.

Arriving at Barcelona for a sum of €105 million plus variables from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, Dembele has never quite been able to get going because of recurring injury problems. Last season, however, the French winger showed how crucial he can be if he can remain fit for an elongated period.

As fate would have it, Dembele picked up yet another injury while on international duty in the summer, as a result of which he is yet to make an appearance this season. However, he continues to be held in high regard within the club.

Indeed, the Barca hierarchy believe that Dembele has a key role to play in the club’s future owing to his age and the variety he brings to the table. It is precisely these characteristics that make him a wanted commodity in the transfer market, with numerous teams across Europe vying to sign him when his contract runs out.

Barcelona to ramp up efforts to secure Dembele’s extension

As a result, Barcelona are now plotting to hurry up the process of tying Dembele down to a new contract, reports ESPN. It is claimed that the Catalan giants are reluctant to lose the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner on a free transfer next year and are now putting pressure on the player and his camp to speed up negotiations.

The report states that Dembele is happy at Barcelona and wants to continue in Catalonia. However, as was the case with Ilaix Moriba earlier this year, his representatives might advise him to chase a more lucrative offer, something that the club are keen on avoiding.

A series of meetings are now said to be scheduled in the coming weeks, which will be crucial to hashing out an agreement. Although as things stand, Barca believe that they have just a 50% chance of extending the ex-Dortmund ace’s stay.

Dembele will be able to speak to foreign clubs from January over a pre-contract agreement. So, Barcelona are likely to want to close out a deal before that. Should a resolution be not reached, the Blaugrana might banish the forward to the stands and prevent him from playing even though he is ready to return from injury.