Barcelona president Joan Laporta has suggested that he wants Ousmane Dembele to reconsider his stance over a renewal and stay put at Camp Nou.
As quoted by Spanish publication MARCA, Joan Laporta said during an appearance at the Mobile World Congress on Monday that he wants Ousmane Dembele to stay put at Camp Nou. The Barcelona president added that the French contract rebel knows what their offer is and should reconsider signing it.
Ousmane Dembele has gone from once being Barcelona’s big hope for the long-term future to a pantomime villain for fans. When he arrived at Camp Nou, the 24-year-old was supposed to be the long-term replacement for Neymar following the Brazilian maverick’s shock departure to Paris Saint-Germain on a world-record transfer.
But injuries and poor form have blighted Dembele’s stint with Barcelona, considerably restricting his participation season after season. This season has been no different, as Dembele has garnered only 836 minutes of game-time, chipping in with two goals and five assists in 16 outings across all competitions.
Dembele’s campaign has also been marred by his ill-fated contract negotiations with Barcelona. With his current contract running out in the summer, Barcelona wanted to tie the Frenchman down to a new contract, only for the two parties to reach a point of no return in January.
Barça president Joan Laporta tells Cadena Ser: “Ousmane Dembélé knows our proposal and we always wanted him to stay”. ?? #FCB
“We hope that at the end of the season he will reconsider his decision”, he said. pic.twitter.com/B87LAlr5Vp
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 28, 2022
Barcelona subsequently wanted to offload Dembele in the January transfer window, but a move did not materialise. With Dembele staying put at Camp Nou for the second half of the season, fans made their displeasure known in his first appearance after the saga. Since then, Dembele has received a lot of support from Xavi Hernandez. Now Joan Laporta has commented on the player’s situation.
The Barcelona president said, “Dembele knows our offer and that we have always wanted him to stay. We hope that at the end of the season he will reconsider it. He is destined to be one of the best players in the world, if not the best, but he knows that he has to work hard.”
Xavi also recently commented on Dembele’s contract situation, suggesting that the Frenchman has been an exemplary professional. But with the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner’s links with Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain emerging again recently, his Barcelona future hangs in the balance, despite his recent heroics against Athletic Bilbao.
