Xavi wants to reintegrate Barcelona’s contract rebel on the pitch: He will almost definitely play

Ousmane Dembele and his agent have taken Barcelona on a joyride over the past few months. Despite being well aware of the fact that his contractual demands are unrealistic, the Frenchman hesitates to renew his contract at Catalonia.

The club left no stone unturned in trying to sell the winger in the January transfer window, but the efforts were in vain. No club was willing to meet the absurd wage demands that Dembele set.

The player’s contract at Barcelona ends in June, and a departure seems inevitable. Though it was initially said that Xavi will punish Dembele by sending him to the stands, the manager later clarified that he counts on the player.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Xavi intends to play Dembele against Espanyol on Sunday. Whether the French international will start or come off the bench is unknown, but his involvement seems certain.

Dembele started on the bench during Barcelona’s 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid last week. He remained on there for the entire game after Adama Traore delivered a spectacular display in his position.

Ahead of the Catalan derby, Xavi clarified his position with the 24-year-old and stated that he wanted to deploy Dembele as a substitute against Los Rojiblancos.

“I had planned to replace him (Dembele) in the second half against Atlético, but due to the red card, he did not participate. He will almost definitely participate in the next game, and help us.”

After Traore’s splendid debut, it remains to be seen if the manager opts to start Dembele over him on Sunday. However, the chances of him participating are high, especially given that it is an away game.