OUSMANE DEMBELE is expected to leave Barcelona in the January transfer window having been dropped from the squad.
The Frenchman’s contract expires at the end of the season and has recently been in talks to sign an extension.
But cash-strapped Barca have been unable to match Dembele’s demands leaving club and player in an intense stalemate.
And now Barcelona director Mateu Alemany has announced the forward will NOT pen a new deal and could be sold this month.
Alemany said: “It’s clear that Dembele does not want to continue with Barcelona. He doesn’t want to be part of our project.
“We told Dembele he has to leave immediately. We expect Ousmane to be sold before January 31.”
With less than six months left on his contract, already the winger is allowed to negotiate a free transfer away from the club next season.
The likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle have all been linked with Dembele as a result.
@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-stretch:semi-condensed;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;font-stretch:normal;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;font-stretch:condensed;font-display:swap;}.css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}
Most read in Football
.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
But his manager – Barca legend Xavi – insisted either a new contract is signed or the player will be sold before the winter window shuts.
He said: “The message is clear. Ousmane Dembele has to sign a new contract or we find a way to sell him in January. No other way.
“It is not contemplated that he stays in the stands. I have been very clear with Ousmane.”
SunSport understands the 24-year-old has been offered to a number of Premier League sides on loan, who would have to pay a £3m fee and his wages.
Dembele has only played 11 games in total this season having picked up knee and hamstrings injuries.
A large part of his time on the sidelines has been spent negotiating a contract extension with Barca, who are believed to have debts of £1.2BILLION.
Dembele did return in November but this week has found himself omitted from Barca’s squad that drew 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano.
And shortly after, club chief Alemany confirmed Dembele will not renew his deal with plans to sell him this month, instead of losing him for nothing in the summer.
We want players that are committed to the club and we have told him he has to leave the club as soon as possible.
Barcelona director Mateu Alemany on Ousmane Dembele
He said: “With Ousmane and his agents we started conversations around the month of July.
“In all this time, almost seven months, we have talked, Barca has made different offers, we have tried to find a way for the player to continue with us and those offers have been systematically rejected by his agents.
“We understand Dembele’s decision is to not continue at Barca and we’ve communicated our decision [to leave him out].
“We want players that are committed to the club and we have told him he has to leave the club as soon as possible.”
Dembele joined Barca from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 for a deal costing £135.5million.
But injuries and disciplinary problems have seen the promising forward fail to hit the heights expected of him at the Nou Camp.
And with his deal running down, and Barca needing a quick sale, his price tag could be slashed dramatically in order to guarantee some funds are recouped.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
