Barcelona 'see contract talks with Ousmane Dembele stall'

Barcelona's contract discussions with French attacker Ousmane Dembele have reportedly stalled.

The 25-year-old has been on the sidelines since the end of January with a hamstring problem, but he has still managed to contribute eight goals and seven assists in 28 appearances at club level this term.

Dembele will again miss out against Girona on Monday night, but the forward is making progress in his recovery, with a return expected before the end of the month.

There remains uncertainty surrounding his long-term future at Camp Nou, though, with his contract due to expire in the summer of 2024.

Dembele actually officially left Barcelona for a two-week period last summer, having failed to agree a new deal, but he ultimately re-signed for Xavi's side on an 18-month deal in July.

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Barcelona are keen to sign the Frenchman to another long-term deal amid claims that the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea are again keeping a close eye on the developments.

However, according to SPORT, the contract talks between the two parties have stalled, with the Catalan outfit currently unable to commit to offering him a higher salary.

The report claims that a fresh round of talks are likely to occur once Barcelona's financial situation for the 2023-24 campaign is clearer.

Dembele made the move to Camp Nou from Borussia Dortmund in August 2017, and he has represented the La Liga giants on 178 occasions, scoring 40 goals and registering 41 assists.

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Earlier this year, Barcelona boss Xavi said that he hoped Dembele would stay at the club "for many years".

"For me he is important, he is different and fundamental. It's hard to find such decisive players in one-on-one situations. The club know that. Since we've been here he's been at an extraordinary level. I hope he stays here for many years," he told reporters at the time.

As well as Dembele, Barcelona will again be missing Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen for Monday's clash against Girona through injury.

Real Madrid's 3-2 defeat to Villarreal on Saturday night means that a victory for Xavi's side on Monday would see them move 15 points clear at the top of the La Liga table.