Barcelona 'closer than ever' to agreeing Ousmane Dembele contract extension

Paul Macdonald

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
• 2 min read

Ousmane Dembele is on the verge of signing a contract extension to remain at Barcelona, claims club president Joan Laporta.

Dembele is now officially out of contract, with his deal at Camp Nou expiring at the end of last week.

Both Dembele and his agent have been courting offers from across Europe after initially rejecting Barcelona's improved offer for him to stay, thinking he could get a better deal elsewhere.

But Chelsea and PSG, after initially showing interest, have not made an offer and so Dembele has been forced to get back around the table with Barca and reassess his situation.

Speaking at an event yesterday, Laporta discussed a number of issues around transfers, including that of the move for Raphinha and also the long-running saga of Frenkie De Jong to Manchester United.

Dembele: Contract until 2024

Multiple reports in Spain suggest that Dembele is ready to sign an agreement until 2024, and Laporta said of the topic:

READ MORE: Dembele: Overpaid, overrated and unwanted

And on the topic of Dembele, he appeared positive that an arrangement could be reached for the 25-year-old until the summer of 2024.

He said: "If he [Dembele] accepts our financial offer, he will stay. We don't put time limits on anything."

It would be a massive climbdown from Dembele, who is currently one of the highest earners at Barcelona, and would require taking a significant pay cut, in the region of 40%, in order to stay.