Players want forward at Barcelona; Catalan giants not convinced

The calls for Barcelona to re-sign Ousmane Dembele to a new contract are getting louder, with more players from the dressing room urging the club to reach an agreement with the Frenchman. However, the La Liga outfit believes that the wide forward already has a pre-contract agreement with another club outside Spain.

Dembele had one foot out of the door at Barcelona during the January transfer window when the club tried to offload him. Talks over a new contract broke down in December last year, after which the Catalan giants were keen to sell him rather than lose him on a free transfer in the summer.

Interested clubs chose to wait until his contract expires in June rather than pay a fee in January. Dembele is allowed to hold talks with clubs outside Spain and sign a pre-contract agreement, but for the moment he has refused to divulge any details about his future plans.

It was expected that Xavi would keep Dembele out of his first-team squad owing to the contract rejections, but the Spanish manager has given him regular minutes since February. The 2018 World Cup winner has not disappointed, notching up seven assists and one goal in the last five games.

Jordi Alba is the latest to urge Barcelona to reach an agreement with the French winger. He feels there are few players better than Dembele in his position, especially seeing the connection he shares with new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has found his scoring touch since moving from Arsenal in January.

"I think they should renew Dembele, in his position he is one of the best in the world by far," Alba said, as quoted on Marca.

However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are not very optimistic about convincing Dembele to sign a new deal. The Catalan club feels like the ball is in the French forward's court, and he has to be willing to accept the contract on the table, and they are aware that it is nothing close to what other clubs can offer.

The Catalan capital club is of the view that the former Borussia Dortmund forward has already signed with a club outside Spain. The 24-year-old continues to maintain that he is yet to make a decision on his future.

Dembele has shown a willingness to stay, especially after Xavi showed his faith by playing him regularly and the arrival of close friend Aubameyang. But it remains to be seen if he will accept a pay cut to stay at the Camp Nou or be tempted by the riches offered by the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Chelsea.