Barcelona 'Want' $131M Star To Stay Amid Stalled Contract Talks: Ronald Koeman

FC Barcelona head coach has admitted he wants Ousmane Dembele to renew his contract with the club.

Dembele, who will be out of contract at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, is yet to sign a new deal with Barcelona. However, he has been linked with a move away amid links with various top European clubs, including three Premier League sides Liverpool FC, Manchester United and Newcastle United.

“What’s most important is that we want him to stay. It’s important and he has quality. The objective is to renew. Another thing is, if he doesn’t want to renew, we have to speak as a club what the best way forward is. Still, we have not spoken of what our strategy will be if he doesn’t renew,” Ronald Koeman was quoted by soccer media outlet Football Espana, as saying in his latest press conference.

Dembele, who made a $131 million move from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona in 2017, has failed to live up to the price tag. It has been reported that Dembele has been asked to accept a salary lower than his current $12million-a-year as a part of the new deal. While he is yet to get back to the club with a response, Newcastle are willing to offer Dembele an improved salary that would see him earn $17 million per season.

The 24-year-old Frenchman is currently out of action, having had an operation on a serious injury during the summer. He is yet to make an appearance for Barcelona this season. In fact, the club had accused Dembele of beginning negotiations with Liverpool and Manchester United behind their back.

So far, the contract talks with Barcelona and Dembele’s representatives have not been the best. However, the Catalans do not want to rush as they want to offer the France national a new deal until 2025.

Moreover, Barcelona have not put away the possibility of freezing out Dembele, as they did back in summer with Ilaix Moriba, who was unwilling to renew his contract and wanted to land a move elsewhere, according to a Spain-based publication Marca.

In the last four seasons, Dembele has managed to bag only 81 appearances for the club in La Liga and overall, he played only 118 matches, across all competitions, scoring 30 goals and providing 21 assists. Set aside his injury issues, the forward is indeed a talented player. Last season, he finished as Barcelona’s third-leading goal scorer (11 goals) after Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann.

Following the departures of Messi and Griezmann, it is understood that Koeman does not want to lose Dembele. At present, Barcelona are struggling on the field, as they are placed ninth in the 2021-22 La Liga table.