Barça still trusts Dembélé: “The currency is in the air”

“The coin is in the air”. In this graphic way they describe in the club the current situation of the negotiations to renew Ousmane Dembélé. The summit held by Barcelona’s football director, Mateu Alemany, and the Frenchman’s agent, Moussa Sissoko, last Monday in Marrakech, did not serve to reach an agreement, but the negotiations were not broken either, opening the possibility of new meetings, which allows the club to hope that it will finally end up renewing the player. And it is that from Barcelona it is recognized that there has been an evident change of strategy by Sissokoespecially forced by the inexcusable will of Dembélé that he wants to follow, since he has gone from the most absolute intransigence to a much more conciliatory position and open to negotiations on the part of the representative.

In any case, from Barcelona it is recognized that the differences are still insurmountable, mainly at the economic level: between token, transfer premium and commissions, lThe operation is close to one hundred million euros, a figure that the Blaugrana club considers totally disproportionate and unattainable.

But, at least, the will of both parties is to continue talking in search of an agreement, something that a few months ago seemed totally unfeasible. Hence, in Barcelona it is recognized that it has gone from the most absolute skepticism to moderate optimism regarding the future of Ousmane.

The main argument that the club has to encourage the possible renewal of the player is that Dembélé has stated, both to the coaches and to the club, that his priority is to continue at Barcelona. His good relationship with coach Xavi Hernández, the arrival this January of his ‘friend’ Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, the consolidation of a winning project where he feels important and the change in attitude of the fans in recent weeks, which has transformed the whistles in applause, have given a radical turn to the situation.

The Dembélé of January, separated and pointed out, has nothing to do with the Dembélé of now, valued and loved. Hence, right now, Sissoko is more obliged than ever to listen to the club and find a meeting point that satisfies all parties.

The continuity of Ousmane would partially modify the plans of the technical secretariat, since Adama Traoré or Raphinha would inevitably fall out of the equation. According to AS, the technicians have very positive reports on the Brazilian winger from Leeds, so his signing would not depend on Dembélé’s future. On the other hand, in the case of Adama, the situation is presumed more complicated, since the club does not intend to execute in any case the clause of 24 million euros of purchase by a player whose contract ends next year.