Xavi left ‘speechless’ by Dembele’s unbelievable Barca contract demands
Robin Bairner
- 8 Jan 2022 05:11 CST
- 3 min read
Ousmane Dembele remains stuck in a contract deadlock with Barcelona just six months before the end of his deal.
Dembele will become a free agent in July if no fresh terms can be found with the Catalan side, and with discussions at an impasse presently, this is very much the direction his future seems to be taking.
There have been reports of interest from Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, although in Spain it is widely acknowledged that the player’s desire is to remain at Barcelona.
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Head coach Xavi has previously hailed the winger as potentially the best in the world in his position – but only if he can stay fit.
Dembele’s time at Barcelona has characterised by long spells on the sidelines, with this season no different to the previous ones. Indeed, he has made only nine appearances.
Xavi, nevertheless, reserved praise for his display against Linares off the bench in the Copa del Rey in midweek, a match in which the attacker grabbed an equaliser and helped save his side from acute embarrassment.
Dembele, meanwhile, will be acutely aware of the financial difficulties of the club, which has seen them to struggle to register signings to play since the summer.
His large wage is one of the reasons they have struggled in this regard, with Barca having been hopeful of persuading him to cut his salary.
According to Sky Sports, though, Dembele wants a significant bump up in his payment to become one of the world’s best-paid players.
It has been reported that Dembele’s demands stand at €43 million per year, plus a possible €7m in add ons.
Xavi was left “nearly speechless” by these requirements.
Update #Dembélé: Been told that Xavi was nearly speechless when he got the information what the player demands for a contract extension: €43m before tax per year + €7m add ons. Just one of the reasons why a transfer to #FCBayern is almost impossible. @SkySportNews 🔴
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) January 7, 2022
What this means for Dembele’s future
Few clubs will be willing to pay such astronomical figures.
Bayern Munich will certainly not countenance a move with such numbers being bandied around, leaving PSG and the Premier League the only possible destinations for the attacker if this report is accurate. Newcastle, for instance, have been linked with him.
Dembele’s future, then, remains as unclear as ever, though if he stands firm by his demands, there is no way Barcelona can afford him.
