Barcelona pull contract offer, ready to sanction forward transfer in January

Barcelona have pulled the contract offer that was on the table for Ousmane Dembele and are now ready to sell him in January, with manager Xavi Hernandez left disappointed. The Frenchman is expected to leave the club either this month or on a free transfer in the summer after failing to reach an agreement over a new deal.

The Catalan club have desperately been trying to convince Dembele to sign a new deal and commit his long-term future to the club. Barcelona have been in talks with the France international's representatives for a number of months, but have failed to reach a compromise with regards to the wage package being demanded.

Xavi remains a big fan of Dembele and was keen to keep him at the Camp Nou. The Spanish coach had held meetings with the player, and outlined his vision to make him the best in his position. Dembele had also made his intentions of remaining at Barcelona clear, but talks have now broken down over the demands laid down by his agent Moussa Sissoko.

According to Spanish publication AS, Xavi is disappointed with Dembele's decision, and is ready to offload him this month to help ease Barcelona's financial problems. They will be able to make room in the club's inflated wage bill, which can help bring in another attacking player with Alvaro Morata high on the manager's priority list.

Barcelona director of football Matheu Alemany, who pulled the offer, has summoned Dembele and his team for another meeting to discuss the next steps about his potential departure. The Barcelona management is ready to banish the French winger to the stands for the rest of the campaign, if they cannot find a buyer for him this month.

Dembele is not short of suitors, and according to Spanish news outlet Sport, Manchester United and Juventus are leading the race to land his services. The Red Devils have been linked with the speedy winger for a number of years, and have reportedly made contact with his agent and discussed a potential deal.

Apart from the aforementioned duo, Chelsea are also keen and have held talks this month about signing him. Bayern Munich and Paris-Saint Germain were also touted as potential suitors, but the duo have pulled out owing to the wage demands made by the player's representatives along with a hefty signing-on bonus to join on a free transfer in the summer.