Xavi: Contract rebel Dembele will NOT be ousted from the squad
Martin Macdonald
- 4 Dec 2021 09:28 GMT
- 3 min read
Barcelona head coach Xavi insists Ousmane Dembele will not be banished to the stands if he still refuses to sign a new contract with the club.
Dembele's contract at Camp Nou runs out in the summer of 2022 and Barca are keen for him to renew as soon as possible in order to eliminate the risk of losing him on a free transfer.
On a business level, it would be a disaster as he cost the club €105 million in 2017.
The Frenchman has missed the majority of the season so far after picking up an injury in the summer, but has returned to feature in Barcelona's last three games.
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At the moment, negotiations are ongoing between Dembele's representatives and Barcelona, but reports from Spain this week suggest the player's agent Moussa Sissoko was campaigning for his client to move on to pastures new.
When asked if the contract situation would lead to Dembele being excluded from his team, Xavi was blunt in his response.
"Dembele to the stands? It would not be the objective, if he has a contract I think he has to play," the Barcelona boss told reporters.
"You have to be positive.
"But on the other hand I am very clear on that, if he has a contract he has to play, also because of the club's image. I do not value that option, I do not contemplate it."
Xavi's belief in Dembele
The loss of such a valuable player for free would obviously be a disaster for Barcelona due to how much was spent on him, but within the club they truly believe Dembele can become a world class player.
Xavi recently stated his belief that Dembele could become the best player in the world in his position.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta, meanwhile, insisted that Dembele was even better than Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.
“Dembele will stay,” Laporta said on TV3’s ‘Els Matins’ programme.
“For me, he’s a great player.
“His agents want the best for him, but sometimes the best is not money.
“For me, it’s clear: Dembele is better than Mbappe.”
Barcelona have allegedly gave Dembele an ultimatum with regards to his decision on a new contract, with an outcome desired within the next two weeks.
