Xavi believes that his mission in the Dembélé renewal process is over. That it is time for it to remain, definitely, in the hands of the club and the player. He had to be key in French seduction techniques, and he has tried it in every way. On the day of his presentation he proclaimed to the four winds that, “well worked” Ousmane could be the best player in the world in his position. From there he went on to individual conversations with the footballer, in which he used two very clear ideas: the ‘mosquito’ fit into his sports project, even with a relevant role, and nowhere will he be happier than in Barcelona Now that, five years later, he knows how the house works, the style of the club and the injuries they begin to respect him.
Xavi has the feeling that nothing he does can change an extreme situation, officially announced even by Mateu Alemany, Barça’s director of football., who took advantage of Ferran Torres’ presentation to reveal that there were no more meetings with the player’s agent, Moussa Sissoko and that Barça’s latest proposal was on the player’s table. “If not, we will take the measures that we see as most favorable to the club, which are clear to us,” he said as a warning in a sentence that left several interpretations. There are those who think that Dembélé could finish the season in the stands and, others, that Barça could advance his march and let him go in January. Of course, for that, Dembélé should have already chosen his destiny and that, to this day, does not seem like a certainty either. Xavi has a different opinion of the club. Even if it is for a question of image, he has to rush his contract as a Barça player on the pitch. Another thing is that it is disappointing that he does not want to renew with a club that has endured everything for five years; or that Barça had a strategy error and should have resolved this matter before.
Dembélé, meanwhile, did what a professional is required to do. Talk on the lawn. After testing positive for COVID, he waited for the tests to give the green light for his reappearance. He traveled to Linares and resolved the Cup match. In a way, he recalled what happened last year in Cornellà where, after missing a penalty, he scored a great goal that flattened the triumph of Barça, which ended up winning the title. Dembélé turned the game against Linares due to his imbalance and the tying goal, which had to crown it with 1-3. But, after widely outwitting the Linares defense with two cuts, he fired violently at the crossbar instead of putting down gently. All in all, he was Barça’s best and Barça’s key player in the round of 16. Xavi, however, has thrown the key of his renovation down the ladder and has left it to the French and the club, who will decide shortly.