Joan Laporta has revealed that if Ousmane Dembele wants to stay at Barcelona he’s going to have to accept the last offer that was made to him. He also said that Barcelona want him to stay.
Barcelona and Dembele have been in negotiations over a new contract for many months. The Frenchman’s previous deal expired on the final day of June and he’s technically a free agent.
Dembele joined Barcelona in the summer of 2017 from Borussia Dortmund as part of the package designed to replace Paris Saint-Germain-bound Neymar Junior. But he failed to replicate the form that earned him the move and suffered never-ending injuries.
But toward the end of the 2021/22 season, working under Xavi Hernandez, he showed what he can do when he’s fully fit. He provided two goals and 13 assists across 32 appearances for Barcelona that year – in total he’s provided 32 and 34 across 150.
A fit and firing Dembele would be a serious asset for Barcelona next season as they try to cut the 13 point gap that currently exists between themselves and reigning champions Real Madrid.
Laporta on Ousmane Dembélé: “If he wants to stay, he has to accept our final bid – otherwise he will leave. There’s no deadline”. 🚨🇫🇷 #FCB
“We want Ousmane to continue but now depends on him. He has not accepted current proposal but he’s open”.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 6, 2022