The Demand Dembele’s ‘Optimistic’ Camp Have Made To Continue At FC Barcelona

Ousmane Dembele received a standing ovation at the Camp Nou on Sunday after setting up Pedri for the winner in the 71st minute of a vital La Liga clash with Sevilla.

The victory meant that Barca moved up to second in La Liga after wallowing in ninth when Xavi Hernandez took over the reins from Ronald Koeman. The following day, Mateu Alemany then traveled to Marrakech in Morocco to sit down with the agent of the team’s leader in assists (10) at what has been described by Dembele’s entourage as a “peace summit” according to Mundo Deportivo where they made an important demand of their charge’s employers since 2017.

After Moussa Sissoko had previously requested extortionate sums from an outfit mired in over $1.5bn’s worth of debt, Alemany said that Dembele should leave the club immediately as he wasn’t committed to the cause. Others suggested that if Barca couldn’t offload him, Dembele must be sent to the stands until his current deal expires on June 30.

Xavi Hernandez refused to do this, and instead took Dembele under his wing to exact top form from the 24-year-old that has swiftly made him one of, if not the best player in the world in his position as Xavi had predicted while leading not just the team but also Europe’s top five leagues in 2022 for assists.

MD note how Sissoko insisted to Alemany that his client now wishes to stay in Blaugrana colors under Xavi and, contrary to popular belief has not signed an agreement with any other club such as Paris Saint Germain.

Dembele’s camp also liked Alemany’s predisposition to find ways of understanding their dilemma, but he was insistent that Barca are implementing a strict salary policy that cannot be compromised in any way.

Alemany was reportedly told that Dembele’s entourage can be flexible to find an agreement and understand the club’s economic predicament. They are aware that, at present, Barca cannot compete “on an equal footing” to the continent’s other clubs, but they also think that the Catalans cannot undervalue the number ‘7’.

Because of this, if Barca’s offer is substantially lower than others that have been presented to Dembele, the winger will not be able to continue at Camp Nou.

The latest meeting with Alemany did not see any negotiations or new offers presented by Barca, but the proposal made in December which president Joan Laporta referenced in a recent interview was confirmed as withdrawn.

Dembele’s entourage insist it is not true that they have requested a shorter contract and instead would like a long one. The two sides will now meet in Barcelona next week, it is said, but even though talks are no further forward as per Dembele’s continuation, his camp feels a little more optimistic than before, MD allege.