Xavi on Dembele: 'Either he renews or leaves Barcelona'

When Xavi Hernandez decided to leave a lucrative job with Al-Sadd in Qatar to take over the reigns at FC Barcelona, he had one mission, and that is to help his former club dig itself out of a hole that it has created for itself.

There is a massive financial crisis at the Camp Nou, and this has spilled over to the pitch. The club was forced to let go of club legend Lionel Messi last summer, and most of their moves in the transfer market have been more about balancing the books than improving the squad quality.

Since taking over as the manager, the former Barcelona midfielder has made it clear that Ousmane Dembele is one of the players that he wants to retain. Xavi has been vocal about wanting the Frenchman to renew his contract, but with talks at a standstill until now, he is running out of patience.

Barcelona have an offer on the table as confirmed by sporting director Mateu Alemany, but it has not been accepted by Dembele's camp. They have not taken kindly to the pressure coming from the club, but now even Xavi can't help himself but to speak up about his desire to settle things as soon as possible.

From the manager's point of view, Dembele should either accept the offer or find himself a new club as soon as possible. The new contract likely involves a longer term with a salary cut, similar to the one signed by Samuel Umtiti. This deal will help the club hold on to the player and free up some space in their annual salary cap.

If he does not like it, Dembele can join another club and take his wages off the Barcelona bill altogether.

"I don't want to disrespect anyone. The message is clear: he either renews or he looks to leave [the club]," said Xavi, as he spoke to the press on Wednesday.

"It is not an easy or pleasant situation, but the interests of the club are paramount," he added, making a reference towards the club's overall financial health. He then spoke about the growing impatience within the club as they wait for the player's decision.

"We are in a complex, difficult situation. If he does not renew, the club must find a solution. We can't be in this situation. We have waited a long time. Mateu has been in talks [with Dembele's agent] for five months and we can't wait any longer," he said.

When asked about the reason behind the delay, Xavi wiped his hands clean and said, "He tells me he wants to stay. Ask him [why he hasn't renewed yet]."