Barcelona can only keep one of Dembele and Adama this summer
Cameron Smith
- 22 Mar 2022 19:50 GMT
- 3 min read
Barcelona will only be able to keep one of Ousmane Dembele and Adama Traore for next season.
The pair, who both currently don't have a contract at the Camp Nou for the 2022/23 season, reportedly won't be playing together next year due to monetary complications.
Barcelona's financial woes aren't a forgotten worry, and the club still needs to operate within a strict budget. With that in mind, the club will only be able to keep one of the two wingers next season, according to Marca.
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Dembele's contract at Barcelona expires in June, while Traore is set to return to his parent club Wolves following the conclusion of his loan spell.
Traore can be purchased by the Blaugrana for €30 million if they choose to trigger the option-to-buy included in his contract. However, he will return to England if this option isn't taken up.
As for Dembele, negotiations over a new deal began before the turn of the year, but they couldn't result in a new deal, with disagreements between the player's representatives and the club.
According to reports, Dembele is waiting for a new and improved offer, but won't accept what the club hasn't offered him so far.
So, Barcelona must decide whether to fund a permanent move for Traore and let Dembele leave for free, or pass on their option-to-buy Traore and offer Dembele a new contract.
Francisco Trincao could also play a key role. The Portuguese winger is currently on loan at Wolves from Barcelona, and like Traore has a €30m option-to-buy clause in his contract. Should Bruno Lage's side opt to trigger that, it would pave the way for Barcelona to re-sign Dembele and sign Traore on a permanent deal.
Barcelona under Xavi
After a rocky start to the season, Barcelona have found their feet under new head coach Xavi. A 4-0 El Clasico victory confirmed the good work the Spaniard has been doing back at his former club. They now sit third in La Liga, having won five league games in a row.
Dembele has found form under new management as well, notching one goal and seven assists during this most recent winning streak. Traore has four assists in all competitions since joining the club.
