The three contract negotiations that could make or break Barcelona's summer transfer window
FT Desk
- 22 Mar 2022 17:49 GMT
- 8 min read
Barcelona have been linked with moves for some of European football’s biggest stars in the forthcoming transfer window.
Whether it be Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger or Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, the Catalan giants will, according to the press, have a very busy off-season.
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However, while Barca fans may be getting excited about players that have yet to join their team, the club itself are undoubtedly beginning to sweat over contracts to key players ahead of next season.
The Catalan giants have three players in particular on expiring contracts and the outcome of negotiations with each player could make or break Barcelona’s summer transfer window.
Ousmane Dembele
The most obvious player that desperately needs a new contract at Barca is undoubtedly Ousmane Dembele, whose current deal is set to expire in a matter of months.
This transfer saga has rumbled on for the best part of a year, with it seemingly hitting its dramatic peak in January, when the club all but tried to force the player to leave when he refused to accept their offer.
However, since then Dembele and his manager Xavi have got their heads down and got on with the matter of playing football and it’s there that progress has certainly been made.
So much so, that it seems as though the player is now comfortable working under his new manager and could perhaps sign a new deal to stay at the club.
“If Ousmane Dembele continues to feel comfortable, we can meet his agents and he could stay,” suggested Barcelona vice president Rafa Yuste this week. Which would be tremendous news for the club and their summer transfer business.
Ronald Araujo
Unlike Dembele, Ronald Araujo isn’t perhaps the biggest star at Barca but over the course of the past season the Uruguay international has confirmed his spot in Xavi’s team and is now one of the manager’s go-to central defenders.
Indeed, at 23 years of age, Araujo has bags of potential and could be a player that Barca rebuild their defence around. The problem, of course, is that the defender’s current deal expires in 2023.
If Barca can’t get Araujo to sign a new deal before the summer window, they may be forced to sell him this summer and restart their defensive rebuild from the very beginning.
Gavi
Barca have a number of exciting young players that will surely be world stars in the years to come and Gavi is undoubtedly one of them.
However, unlike Ansu Fati, Frenkie de Jong or Pedri, the Spain international’s current contract is set to expire at the end of next season.
Although Gavi has made no indication that he wants to leave Barca, the longer the club goes without offering him a new deal, the more likely a potential move to England becomes. Especially if an interested club are willing to trigger the young midfielder’s release clause.
