Laporta gives fresh update on Dembele and De Jong's Barcelona futures
Cameron Smith
- 17 May 2022 19:23 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has provided a new update on the situation surrounding the futures of both Frenkie de Jong and Ousmane Dembele.
The former is wanted by Manchester United in order to reunite the Dutchman with his former Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag, while Dembele is out of contract this summer and can therefore join a new team for no transfer fee.
Recently most read
The issue surrounding Dembele is a big one given the price Barcelona paid Borussia Dortmund for him back in 2017, and his recent form. Although he's netted just one La Liga goal this season, he has contributed 13 assists, which is a league-high. Furthermore, after pushing for an exit in January after falling out of favour under Xavi, Dembele has worked his way back into the side and has been a crucial piece of Barcelona's attacking puzzle in 2022.
As for De Jong, Barcelona haven't been able to unlock the potential he showed at Ajax quite as much as many expected, although he has impressed this season. But, with Sergio Busquets proving evergreen in defensive midfield, and the likes of Pedri and Gavi to call upon, De Jong isn't the player holding things together and he is one of very few sellable assets Barcelona have available to them.
It appears they are seriously chasing Robert Lewandowski and any move this summer could require sales first, which is where De Jong comes in. Man Utd have shown the most active interest, although other elite clubs may begin to express a desire to sign him this summer.
What has Laporta said?
Laporta has spoken out about the pair and shone a light into Barcelona's thinking in regards to what they believe is the best thing to do with both De Jong and Dembele. The Barcelona president informed Catalunya Radio of what the situation is surrounding both players.
On De Jong he said: "De Jong? There are Barça players that are always being talked about in the market. We will do what is best for the club. If the levers we want to activate come to fruition, there would be no sales for economic reasons."
Laporta refers to the potential €400 million injection of money that could be pumped into the club soon, suggesting De Jong won't be sold simply to balance the books.
He also spoke about the club's French star as well: "Dembélé? He would like to stay but he's very tempted by other options that he may think are superior. He already has our offer and he'll answer us next week. We would like to have the issue resolved."
