Dembele keeps Barcelona hanging
The forward has not made a decision on his future until now despite efforts by the club to renew his contract.
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta did not hide his disappointment at the fact that Ousmane Dembele has not responded to the club's contract extension offers. The summer transfer window is in full swing, and the longer the Frenchman takes to decide on his future, the harder it would be for Barcelona to make the necessary moves in the market.
"Dembele has an offer on the table from us, but he hasn't accepted it. We don't have a response from him," said Laporta, while speaking to Sport.
Manager Xavi Hernandez had been keen to hold on to the forward even after talks broke down back in January. He continued to treat the player as an important part of the squad, and this was repaid by 13 assists this season, more than any other player in La Liga Santander.
Dembele arrived at Barcelona as the club's second most expensive transfer, but he has not lived up to expectations largely due to a series of injuries. However, Xavi made it clear that he still believes the player can turn things around if he continues.
The problem now is that Dembele is also one of the top earners in the current roster. His decision will create a domino effect in terms of the club's finances and the moves they can make in the market.
If Dembele stays, there will be significantly less room in the salary cap, even if he agrees to re-negotiated wages. However, it will likely still be more economical to keep him rather than splash the cash on a replacement of similar quality.
This is why Barcelona have been keen to have the player renew. They know that it would be difficult to find a bargain deal for a player who could be an ideal replacement.
Another issue is the delay. With Dembele dragging his feet at his transfer decision, Barcelona is also unable to free up the money that they need to dive fully into the market. As such, they are on the back foot when it comes to negotiating with their other transfer targets.
Barcelona is believed to be in talks with a number of players, but they need to free up space in the salary cap and generate cash in order to get those deals over the line. Therefore, Dembele's decision is crucial and urgent. Otherwise Barcelona are running the risk of seeing other clubs snatching up their targets.
Premier League side Chelsea FC is one of the frontrunners to sign Dembele, and it remains to be seen if a deal will be completed soon now that the ownership issues have been settled at Stamford Bridge.
