Barcelona may lose top forward to Juventus or PSG

The contract renewal saga concerning FC Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele has become even more complicated in the past few days. Just last week, it appeared as though the Catalan giants were on course to lock down the Frenchman to a new deal, but the story has now had several new twists, including the involvement of Serie A side, Juventus.

New Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez made it clear that he wants the club to seal a contract extension for Dembele, who is a big part of his plans for the future of the club. Last week, it was reported that the player is happy at the Camp Nou and has even accepted a pay cut in order to help the club facilitate a new deal.

However, on Wednesday, talks between Dembele's agent and club representatives apparently took a turn for the worse. The two sides did not see eye to eye when it comes to wages, and now it has become apparent that the winter transfer window will open without a new deal in place.

According to Diario SPORT, Dembele has "an agreement in principle" with Juventus. However, journalist Fabrizio Romano has clarified that there is no deal between Barcelona and Juventus involving a possible player swap with Alvaro Morata heading the other direction to the Camp Nou.

With the Frenchman out of contract by the end of the season, Barcelona wanted to lock him down to a new deal before the winter transfer window. However, it now appears as though Dembele's agent will be using the time to weigh their options against what Barcelona is willing to offer. In particular, he is said to be waiting for an offer from Paris Saint-Germain.

Premier League sides Manchester United and Arsenal are also being linked with the forward, with both clubs looking to shake things up in their roster. Likewise, Newcastle United are eager to splash cash on a top level player, now that they have backing from Saudi Arabia's crown prince.

If he plays his cards right, Dembele can potentially secure a very lucrative contract in the next few weeks. It remains to be seen what Barcelona can do to stop the player from accepting an offer from another club, given that they have limited resources to bargain with.