French winger Ousmane Dembele has told Barcelona that he is keen to sign a new contract at the club this summer.
The 24-year-old, who saw that his European Championship ended with a knee injury, is about to enter the last year of his contract and is not in a hurry to put pen to paper on an extension.
Barcelona have worked to try to tie Dembele to a new deal but have warned the Frenchman that he will be sold this summer if he does not agree. He cost over £ 130 million four years ago and club officials do not plan to let him go for free when his deal expires.
The idea of moving to Manchester City has gained traction in recent weeks, but now Mundo Deportivo claims that Dembele has actually expressed a desire to stay in Barcelona for the foreseeable future.
The winger has made it clear to the club that he wants to sign an extension in the coming weeks, which may have something to do with the fact that Barcelona threatened to freeze him completely if he did not log in.
Dembele has been excluded from Euro 2020 / Aurelien Meunier / Getty Images
Barcelona now feel as confident as they have ever been about being able to keep Dembele at the club, and there is almost a sadistic optimism that the knee injuries he suffered this summer could affect his value for other clubs.
Talks are expected to increase in the coming weeks, with Barcelona wanting a quick resolution so they can find out what needs to be done in the transfer window.
If Dembele signs a new deal, it could take a while for Barcelona to reap the rewards when Catalunya Radio says he faces three months on the sidelines due to this latest injury. RAC1 even adds that Dembele may need surgery to repair the tendon in his knee, which could keep him out of action even longer.
Barcelona are afraid that Dembele may need surgery / Alex Caparros / Getty Images
Barcelona’s medical staff will keep an eye on Dembele in the coming days to determine how serious this injury really is, but his lack of action will give him plenty of time to discuss a new contract.
President Joan Laporta is a big fan and sees Dembele as a star for both the present and the future, and getting the Frenchman to commit to a new deal has been one of his top priorities since returning to Camp Nou.
For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!
