Barcelona are preparing to offer a new contract to winger Ousmane Dembele, reports Spanish outlet Sport.
Dembele came to Barcelona in the summer transfer window of 2017, arriving from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth up to €145 million. He was brought in to replace Neymar, who had departed for Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee that window.
His time at the Camp Nou has not been as successful as hoped. He has shown flashes of potential, but injuries and inconsistency have held him back from fulfilling his potential.
Nonetheless, there is no denying his talent. With a bit of fine tuning, the Frenchman could go on to become one of the world’s most feared forwards.
Spanish publication Sport are claiming that the Catalan giants are set to offer Dembele a new contract, which would keep him at the club until 2025.
The winger, who turns 24 next month, has just over one year remaining on his current deal, leaving him potentially available for cheap this summer. Manchester United have been linked with his signature as an alternative to Borussia Dortmund wide man Jadon Sancho.
In Barcelona’s current financial state, they cannot afford to lose anymore valuable assets for low figures. Last summer, the likes of Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, and Arturo Vidal all left for a combined total of just over €1m.
At the end of the season, La Blaugrana risk losing star man Lionel Messi on a free transfer. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s contract is set to expire in the summer, and it is unclear whether he will sign a new deal.
For now, the club will be focused on their Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao on April 17, as well as their closely fought title race with Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
Read also: Neymar in contact with Barcelona over possible return
