Transfer Centre

Ousmane Dembele hints at Barcelona stay?

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 19 June 2022

Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele tells a fan that he is staying at Camp Nou for the 2022-23 season, even though his deal expires at the end of the month.

Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele has possibly hinted that he would be willing to extend his stay at Barcelona ahead of his contract expiry.

The France international's current deal at Camp Nou only has a couple more weeks left to run, and talks over a new contract with the club are yet to yield a positive solution.

A recent report claimed that Dembele had rejected the club's final offer of a new deal, and with Barcelona not willing to increase the terms on the table, he would likely head elsewhere this summer.

Chelsea have been most strongly linked with a move for Dembele in recent months, with the 25-year-old keen to reunite with ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel.

Paris Saint-Germain continue to be credited with an interest as well, but Dembele has seemingly offered hope that his time at Barcelona is not done and dusted just yet.

Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele pictured on January 22, 2022 © Reuters

As reported by The Mirror, Dembele was spotted in a car by a Barcelona fan, who asked the attacker if he was remaining in Catalonia for the 2022-23 season, to which he responded "yes".

Dembele also claimed that speculation surrounding a move to Chelsea was only "rumours" and also added: "I'm good at Barcelona", which could indicate that he may sign fresh terms with the La Liga club.

However, president Joan Laporta recently claimed that he had been left in the dark by the player and his agent Moussa Sissoko after presenting the pair with a renewal offer.

"Dembele has an offer to stay, but we have no news that he's accepted it. We haven't had a reply from him," Laporta told the press.

Dembele has registered a total of 32 goals and 34 assists in 149 outings for Barcelona since his £126m move in the summer of 2017, but he has missed a further 102 matches through injury or illness.

Ousmane Dembele in action for Barcelona in February 2022 © Reuters

Barcelona were unable to force the former Rennes youngster out of the door for a cut-price fee in January, but Dembele managed to return to form under Xavi in the second half of the season.

Dembele provided a league-high 13 assists in 21 La Liga games for La Blaugrana, although he only managed two goals in all competitions and was forced to compete with numerous star names in the Barca attack.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shone alongside Dembele following his January arrival, and Ferran Torres is also expected to remain on the books at Camp Nou beyond the summer.

Adama Traore and Luuk de Jong are not expected to pen permanent deals following below-par loan spells, while Memphis Depay and Martin Braithwaite are also being tipped to leave in the coming weeks.

Ahead of Dembele's possible exit, Barcelona are still working on a deal for Leeds United's Raphinha, while Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski also remains a top priority.