Barcelona set deadline to complete forward's new deal

Barcelona have given Ousmane Dembele an ultimatum with regards to his new contract. The Catalans are making it clear that they are not willing to wait longer than necessary for the Frenchman to make his decision.

The 24-year-old winger is in the final seven months of his contract with Barcelona, and is yet to reach an agreement over a new deal. Dembele will be allowed to talk to clubs outside Spain when the winter transfer window opens in January, and he will not be short of suitors should he decide to leave the Catalan capital club next June.

According to Spanish media outlet Sport, Barcelona are not willing to draw out the talks any longer and have informed Dembele's camp that a decision needs to be made before Dec 31. The La Liga club's director of football, Matheu Alemany, has been in talks with the France international's representatives for a number of months, but has thus far not received a response.

Dembele is keen to remain at the Camp Nou, with the forward now been looked at as one of the top stars at the club. However, his interest to remain is secondary when his agent sits down with the club to discuss the financial terms of the new contract, which at the moment is not on par with what the Frenchman's representatives are expecting.

The main point of contention is Barcelona's desire to freeze Dembele' salary and only give him an increment via performance based bonuses going forward. Meanwhile, the 2018 World Cup winner's camp is aware of the lucrative offers on the table from top clubs across Europe with many teams willing to meet his salary demands while also offering a mouthwatering signing-on fee if he joins on a free transfer next June.

Dembele's agents have reportedly heard offers from Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Juventus. Apart from the aforementioned five, the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle United are also monitoring the situation with a view to a move either in January or in the summer.