Why Aubameyang may persuade Dembele to stay
Carlo Garganese
- 15 Mar 2022 11:15 GMT
- 3 min read
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could convince Ousmane Dembele to stay at Barcelona, according to Diario Sport.
Dembele’s contract at Camp Nou expires at the end of June and he has rejected all offers of a renewal.
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Barcelona had been very keen for the winger to renew, however negotiations collapsed at the turn of 2022 as Dembele became unhappy that the club were offering him a contract at much-reduced wages while at the same time signing Ferran Torres from Man City for €55 million plus €10m in add-ons.
Barcelona, on the other hand, complained that Dembele was asking for too much money, with reports that he demanded €240m in order to sign a new contract at Barcelona.
The relationship between Dembele and the key figures at Barcelona deteriorated badly from then on, with Barcelona doing everything to pressure him into either signing a new contract or leaving in January.
There were even reports that Barcelona were prepared to freeze Dembele out of the squad for the rest of the season if he didn’t leave, or even take him to court.
In the end, Dembele stayed put and he has been reintegrated into the team in recent games, playing excellently.
According to Diario Sport, the January signing of Aubameyang may change Dembele’s mind and convince him to stay.
The pair have a very close relationship and friendship dating back to their time as teammates for Borussia Dortmund in 2016-17.
Not only off the pitch, where they often hang out together, the duo also have something of a telepathic link-up on the pitch as well.
Sport claims that in terms of goals to games, Dembele is the best partner of Aubameyang’s career.
The pair have played 52 games together and have combined to produce 14 goals.
Will this be enough to keep Dembele at Camp Nou?
