Dembele dropped and told to leave Barca immediately
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 20 Jan 2022 09:59 GMT
- 3 min read
Barcelona have told Ousmane Dembele to find a new club by the end of the January transfer window, putting him in the picture for a move to the Premier League.
Sporting director Mateu Alemany announced the decision shortly after it was made official that Dembele had been omitted from the club’s squad to face Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey on Thursday.
Dembele has dominated the world of football transfer news over the course of the last week as his contract situation with the club comes to a head.
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Dembele dropped and told to get out
The France international’s deal is up at the end of the season and his refusal to sign a new deal has prompted an angry response from the club.
Speaking via Barcelona’s official media channels, Alemany said: “We started negotiations with Dembele and his agents in July. Barcelona made different offers and tried to find a solution for the player to stay with us.
“Today, 20 January, 11 days before the last transfer window of his contract ends, it seems obvious that the player does not want to continue at Barca. And he is, therefore, not committed to the club’s future project.
It seems obvious that the player does not want to continue at Barca
- Mateu Alemany“In this context, it was communicated to his agents and him that he must leave immediately because we want players committed to this project. It is hoped that a transfer will happen before January 31.
“The sporting consequence, validated by the coach, is that we do not want to have players not involved in the project and who do not want to be at Barca.
“The fact that he is not in the squad is only a consequence of this process.
“It's not the club that should determine that, it's the coach who did it, but he has our full support. We understand him perfectly and it seems to us a totally coherent decision.”
It is a war that has become increasingly public in recent days, with Barca offering thinly veiled threats towards the player, suggesting that he will not be involved in the squad while no fresh deal is signed.
Meanwhile, Dembele’s entourage have said that they will not back down from their current position.
For their part, Barcelona appear ready to stick to their guns, with Alemany’s message clear that Dembele is no longer welcome at Camp Nou.
