Dembele’s agent BLASTS Xavi’s money complaints
FT Desk
- 11 Jan 2022 08:12 CST
- 3 min read
Ousmane Dembele’s agent has slammed Barcelona coach Xavi over his claims that the winger is asking for too much money to renew his contract.
Dembele’s current contract at Camp Nou expires at the end of the 2021-22 season but Barcelona are keen for the wideman to renew.
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Coach Xavi and president Joan Laporta have continually praised Dembele in recent months and publicly urged him to sign a new deal.
And this campaign had appeared to have worked as in December it had appeared as if Dembele was on the verge of signing a new deal.
However, talks suddenly collapsed at the turn of the year.
Dembele was reported to have been unhappy that Barcelona were offering him a contract at much-reduced wages while at the same time putting together a huge financial package in order to sign Ferran Torres from Man City for €55 million plus €10m in add-ons.
Xavi has subsequently remarked that Dembele needs to reduce his wage demands, also saying that was necessary in order to register Torres.
What did Xavi say about Dembele?
“Ousmane will have to make an effort and think of his future, what happens through Barca,” Xavi complained two weeks ago.
“I am waiting for him to make the effort. In terms of sporting projects, this is the best for him.
“If we get Dembele to re-sign his contract and lower his pay it will allow us to sign Torres and we hope that it can happen.”
What did Dembele agent say about Xavi?
Dembele’s agent Moussa Sissoko has now hit back at the narrative that Dembele’s wage demands are the problem in contract negotiations.
“He speaks a lot but it is not a question of money. It’s a question of day to day,” Sissoko told L’Equipe.
“This sporting management, playing without having trained after coming out of covid, it’s difficult to understand.”
Dembele is wanted by a number of top European clubs on a Bosman transfer this summer.
