Ousmane Dembele’s Barcelona future set to be decided next week with ‘definitive’ meeting | OneFootball

As we near the end of the 2021/22 season, Barcelona are still trying to reach a resolution over the contract situation of winger Ousmane Dembele.

The 25-year-old’s current deal stands to expire at the end of June and an agreement over an extension is still nowhere in sight. Talks over a new contract had completely ceased at the turn of the year, but his performances and Xavi’s insistence compelled Barça to restart discussions.

Director Mateu Alemany met with Dembele’s agent, Moussa Sissoko, in Marrakesh over a month ago, following which another meeting was held in late April when advisor Jordi Cruyff and vice-president Rafa Yuste were also present.

The talks are said to have laid the groundwork for a final set of negotiations, which will set take place this weekend after Barcelona’s final game of the season against Villarreal, reports SPORT.

The Catalan publication claims that this will be the decisive meeting with regard to the future of the former Borussia Dortmund speedster.

It is stated that Barça will present Dembele’s agent, Sissoko, with an offer that they have worked hard to get closer to the other proposals he has from different clubs. And, it will be so that either the winger accepts it and continues at Camp Nou or rejects it and move on.

Barcelona are believed to have found innovative and imaginative formulae in order to take the proposal as close as possible to the other offers Dembele has on his table currently.

Reports continue to indicate that Barça are not entirely optimistic about their chances of getting Dembele to sign a new deal. But, a clearer picture of the situation should emerge once the ‘decisive’ meeting takes place this Sunday after the last game of the season vs Villarreal.

In case an agreement is not reached, the Blaugrana plan to step up their pursuit of Leeds United winger Raphinha, as they look to bring the Brazilian into the club as a direct replacement for the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner.