Dembele will continue to be an important player for us – Xavi
Robin Bairner
- 7 Jan 2022 17:07 GMT
- 3 min read
Barcelona head coach Xavi has suggested that winger Ousmane Dembele will not be leaving the club this January.
Dembele is out of contract this summer and could depart on a free transfer, with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich among the clubs thought to be following his case.
Moreover, he has been a player widely expected to leave Barca due to his high wages and poor injury record. Combine this with Barcelona’s financial problems and he appears to be an ideal candidate to depart.
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Xavi, though, is an admirer of the former Borussia Dortmund player. Indeed, he has previously claimed that he could become the best player in the world in his position if he can remain fit.
Additionally, Dembele played a key role in Wednesday’s 2-1 Copa del Rey success over Linares.
“He's part of the team and the other day he made an effort for the team. He had just come out of Covid and he produced a perfect performance,” Xavi said on Friday. “The team was in trouble and he made the difference.
“Whatever happens with his future, he will continue to be an important player for us.”
What this means for Dembele and Barcelona
Clearly, then, there is no prospect of Xavi freezing Dembele out of the team.
Meanwhile, some of the need to sell has been eased by Barcelona successfully offloading Philippe Coutinho to Aston Villa on loan, a move expected to free up a significant enough portion of the wage budget to allow Ferran Torres to be registered to play.
Barca, though, will still be active in attempting to sell players who are not in the plans of Xavi. Foremost among these stars will be central defender Samuel Umtiti, who has been linked with a move to Newcastle on loan, and Luuk de Jong, whose style does not correspond to that of the head coach.
