Joan Laporta talks Dembele, Messi, Ferran Torres

Even as the January transfer window closes in, Barcelona are ramping up their efforts to tie Ousmane Dembele down to a new contract.

The Frenchman has a little over six months left on his current deal, meaning he will be able to hold talks with foreign clubs over a pre-contract agreement starting January. Barca, though, are hoping to extend his stay at Camp Nou and conclude the agreement by that time.

Manager Xavi Hernandez has already spoken about how highly he rates the 24-year-old, describing him as integral to his plans for the future. President Joan Laporta has also launched a charm offensive to try and convince the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner to sign a new deal.

In an interview with TV3, Laporta spoke about Dembele’s contract situation, insisting that the Frenchman wants to stay at Camp Nou, while also claiming that the Frenchman was better than his compatriot and PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe.

“Dembele wants to stay. His agents want the best for him, but sometimes the best thing is not money. I’m clear; he is better than Mbappé,” the Barcelona supremo said.

During the interview, Laporta also touched upon the matter of club legend Lionel Messi and his previous comments on the Argentine, when he seemed to have suggested that he asked the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner to play for Barcelona for free.

Reneging on his past statements, the club president said: “I couldn’t speak with Messi in Paris. The thing about playing for free… my words were misinterpreted. Obviously I would never propose that to him.He’s the best in the world and he had an important offer. The club has to have a good relationship with their best player.”

Laporta also shed some light on Barcelona’s well-publicised pursuit of Manchester City star Ferran Torres ahead of the January transfer window. Without giving away too much, he said:

“Ferran Torres is liked by many others. The sports management is constantly looking for ways to sign the players, requested by the manager.”

The Barcelona president also addressed questions about the shirt sponsors for the club, with the agreement with Rakuten coming close to expiry.

“Once we have the authorization to run Espai Barça, the priority is to find the sponsor for the shirt. It could be that Rakuten is renewed, but there are other companies that are offering more. For us, defending democratic and ethical rights when choosing a partner is essential,” he said.

Laporta also confirmed the rehiring of Dr. Ricard Pruna, whose appointment was pushed for by manager Xavi Hernandez. “The signing of Dr. Ricard Pruna is done. We didn’t have to pay a compensation fee,” he explained.