Barcelona director Mateu Alemany provides Ousmane Dembele update

Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany has said that the club will "continue talking" to Ousmane Dembele over a potential new contract at Camp Nou.

The France international became a free agent at the end of June, having failed to come to an agreement with the Catalan giants over an extension.

Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain continue to be heavily linked with the World Cup winner, although it is believed that his preference is to remain at Barcelona.

Alemany has said that the club will "continue talking" to the 25-year-old in the hope of reaching an agreement, but the La Liga giants will seemingly not be increasing their offer to match his demands.

"We are in an uncertain situation. Right now we cannot sign players because we still have to resolve the financial fair play issues," Alemany told reporters.

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"We are talking to players that interest us so they can wait. Ousmane now is not a Barca player but we have made him an offer for sporting reasons. He has not managed to accept our proposal but he wants to continue talking. For us, for the moment, we will continue talking.

"The wage balance is necessary for the team to be competitive and all the negotiations come in this context. We are not in a hurry, even though we are aware we cannot wait too long. Players we have verbal agreements with understand the situation. Nobody can expect us not to act with maximum caution."

Speaking earlier this month, Barcelona president Joan Laporta insisted that there was 'no deadline' when it comes to the discussions with Dembele.

"He is a person that we appreciate very much," Mundo Deportivo quotes Laporta as saying. "He has played at a very high level in the second half of the season and the coach is very satisfied with him.

"It is an economic question, he has answered us without saying 'yes' or a 'no'. We maintain a good relationship with the player and there is communication with the agents. If he accepts the conditions that we have presented, he will continue, if not, then no.

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"We don't set deadlines for anything, not for signings, not for levers or anything. Now that we've activated the first lever, we've released quite a bit of pressure. We are working hard, both for players and levers."

Dembele reportedly wants double the €6m (£5.2m) salary that has been placed on the table, but the La Liga outfit will not be raising their offer due to their current restrictions.

The Frenchman enjoyed a strong 2021-22 campaign despite some injury issues, scoring twice and providing 13 assists in 32 appearances in all competitions.

Meanwhile, he has scored 32 goals and registered 34 assists in 149 appearances for the La Liga giants since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017.

Alemany has also provided an update on the future of teenage midfielder Gavi, with his current contract at Camp Nou due to expire next June.