Barcelona wants to move France winger Ousmane Dembélé before the winter transfer window closes, according to a top club official.
After refusing to agree to a new contract, Barcelona soccer director Mateu Alemany stated the club told Dembélé he needed to find a new club. In June, his contract will end.
“During the six, seven months that we have been negotiating and talking, Barça has made several offers for Ousmane to continue with us, all of which have been rejected by his agents,” Alemany said. “Given the situation, we have told the player and his agents that he must leave immediately, because we want players who are committed to the future of the team, and that he must leave before Jan. 31.”
Coach Xavi Hernández has not included Dembélé on his squad for the Copa del Rey game at Athletic Bilbao on Thursday. Alemany said that decision was a direct result of his refusal to sign a new contract.
In 2017, Barcelona broke its own club transfer record by signing Dembélé from Borussia Dortmund for 147 million euros (then $175 million) plus add-ons. Many Barcelona supporters questioned the pricey transaction, which used a large portion of the 220 million euros (then $262 million) Barcelona got from PSG for Neymar just weeks before.
The young forward missed most of his first two seasons due to injury, and it was until last season that he established himself as a regular starter. In 129 games for Barcelona, he has 31 goals.