Ousmane Dembele might be about to upset Chelsea and several other clubs.
According to Sky Sports, Barcelona have reopened a conversation with the Frenchman about signing a new contract.
Dembele’s deal expires in the summer, meaning he will be able to walk away as a free agent unless an intervention is implemented.
Ousmane a lost man
For a player that cost £135.5m (BBC) in 2017, losing him for no upfront transfer cost would be a hugely wasted investment on Barca’s behalf.
Not only financially, but from a footballing perspective as well.
The 24-year-old has hardly shifted out of first gear since he moved from Borussia Dortmund to the Camp Nou.
In half a decade, Dembele is yet to reach 150 appearances for the Spanish side, nor score more than 50 goals.
His low numbers can mainly be blamed by repeated injuries, causing him to miss virtually the entire 2019/20 season.
It appeared that the Frenchman’s legacy would be remembered as nothing more than a stream of bandages and bad vibes.
He continued to reject Barca’s approaches over a contract extension, to the extent Xavi excluded him from a handful of match-day squads.
The club’s hierarchy attempted to push him out in January, with Chelsea reportedly in the best position to land his signature.
Dembele dragged from the depths
However, the whole landscape of the situation has seemingly changed.
Dembele is back in Xavi’s good backs and even more importantly, back amongst the action.
In the last six La Liga games, he has provided seven assists and scored once.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s arrival from Arsenal appears to have helped considerably, not to mention the fact Barca are seriously pushing for the league title.
There are still a few months left for Dembele to make a decision on his future, meaning Chelsea and co. might get their wishes after all.
But our guess is that the silky attacker will stay put in Spain.
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