Ousmane Dembele ‘wants to STAY at Barcelona and will lower his wage demands to secure a new deal… with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s arrival being a key factor’ in convincing him his future is at the Nou Camp
- For months, Ousmane Dembele’s long-term future has been under scrutiny
- But it is now claimed he’ll cut his wage demands to stay with Barcelona
- Xavi’s rebuild is gathering momentum and Barcelona are second in LaLiga
It was claimed earlier this year that Ousmane Dembele wanted a new contract worth £67million to stay with Barcelona.
Now, according to Spanish publication Sport, Dembele is not only prepared to slash his wage demands to stay at the Nou Camp, he is also prepared to accept less than what other clubs will offer him.
That doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to stay – Barcelona are still working on a tight budget as they count the cost of the Covid-19 pandemic on their finances and have largely leant on free transfers to freshen up their squad in recent transfer windows.
Ousmane Dembele is reportedly ready to slash his wage demands to stay with Barcelona
It is claimed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s arrival has convinced him to stay at the Nou Camp
It is claimed the club are looking at if they have enough money to return to Dembele with an offer he’d accept. He has previously been linked with moves to Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
Sport also report that a key factor in Dembele wanting to stay a part of Xavi’s revolution is the January arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Arsenal.
Aubameyang has made an electrifying start in Barcelona colours, scoring 11 goals to date in Xavi’s resurgent side.
And in fairness to Dembele, the landscape at the Nou Camp has changed for the better since the start of the year, when he looked destined to leave.
Despite a recent wobble in form that saw Barcelona dumped out of the Europa League by Eintracht Frankfurt, Xavi’s men are second in LaLiga and well placed to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Dembele was once claimed to be demanding a £67m package to stay with the Catalan club
But now, the 24-year-old wants to remain a part of Xavi’s long-term Barcelona rebuils
They are six points clear of fifth-place Real Betis – who lead the chasing pack trying to make the top four – but Xavi’s side are 15 points behind runaway leaders Real Madrid.
A title challenge will be on hold until next season, and it now seems Dembele could be a part of that.
The 24-year-old has played 28 times for Barcelona this season, scoring twice.
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