 |
| Jose Angel Gomez Campana (L) of Levante UD competes for the ball with Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona during the La Liga Santander match between Levante UD and FC Barcelona at Ciutat de Valencia stadium, April 10, 2022, Valencia, Spain. |
Spanish news outlet Marca has offered a fresh update on Barcelona’s lengthy
contract standoff with Ousmane Dembele, suggesting the saga is nearing its
conclusive end.
After months of negotiations, it appears the two
parties are on the verge of reaching an agreement over a new contract that
would see Dembele signing a two-year deal at Camp Nou.
The report from Marca suggests the two parties are
currently in the final stage of negotiations and only need the “last push” to
get the deal over the line.
Dembele is currently a free agent after he ran down
his contract at Camp Nou at the end of June. For the majority of the year,
there was a massive disparity between what Barcelona were willing to offer and
what Dembele’s agent was demanding.
However, those differences have been closed and it
appears a few minor details are left to be completed before the deal can be
finalised. It is now a question of whether or not the two parties finally go
through with the deal.
All reports indicate Dembele might soon sign the
agreement and remain at Camp Nou after months of negotiations and several board
meetings.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez, who has played a
vital role in convincing Barça to go after the Frenchman’s contract extension,
is keen on finalising the deal as soon as possible, as he wants the attacker to
become a part of pre-season.
Barcelona have already kickstarted their training on
July 4, with multiple first-team stars returning to Ciudad Esportiva, including
Ansu Fati, who has returned to 100% after yet another long injury layoff.
The explosive attacker will be keen on getting started on a positive note,
alongside fellow winger Ousmane Dembele next season.
