1st March, 2022
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said the future of Ousmane Dembele at Camp Nou does not depend on him.
Laporta told reporters when quizzed on Barca’s plans on Monday:
He said: “Dembele knows our offer and knows that we always wanted him to stay. We hope he will think again at the end of the season.
“I’ve always said it, for me he’s one of the best in his position and we’ll see what happens at the end of the season. For now let’s focus on this season, we have a lot to say both in the Europa League and in the league.
“In football, you can never rule anything out. Look, he could not play and now he plays, and he plays well. But his contract extension does not depend on me.”
Dembele has ignored all attempts to get him tied down on fresh terms this season, with interest in his services from outside of Catalunya building steadily as he runs down his current deal.
No official agreement has been reached with any interested party, though, and with Dembele still figuring in Xavi’s plans over recent weeks, there is a chance that he could be talked into prolonging his association with the Liga heavyweights.