OUSMANE DEMBELE has declined a new contract at Barcelona after a furious meeting with club owners – as two Premier League clubs approached the winger on a free transfer.
The 24-year-old French winger is believed to have agreed to personal terms last week and told Xavi & Co that he wanted to stay.
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But after hours of nervous meeting, Dembele’s agent is gone. Without According to Spanish outlet Sport, his client puts pen to paper.
Dembele has long been linked with a move away from Nou Camp as injuries have hindered his progress following his £138million move from Borussia Dortmund in 2017.
But new boss Xavi has time and again praised her and is said to be fighting tooth and nail to keep her.
Last week, reports suggested Dembele had lured a new five-year deal at Barcelona Less weekly salary.
The cash-strapped club are desperate to reduce their sky-high wage bill, despite £55m splurge on Manchester City forward Ferran Torres.
Both Barca and Dembele were confident the deal would be completed by the end of the year.
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But after a scary meeting, now the gap between the two parties has opened.
And with Dembele out of contract at the end of the season, he and his representatives will be able to start pre-contract talks with foreign clubs Saturday,
Despite spending a hefty sum of money on Torres, Dembele and his team are claimed to have been angered by Barcelona’s instructions to cut their salaries.
The winger will now only be there if he is given the salary he is asking for – and not a penny less.
It was already claimed that Dembele went against the wishes of his agents by agreeing to a new deal.
Also several clubs including Man Utd, Newcastle, Tottenham and Liverpool have been linked with the 27-cap international.
transfer guru fabrizio romano now revealed two Premier League clubs have contacted Dembele and are ready to offer him the sky-high salary he is seeking.
Romano tweeted: “Ousmane Dembele has been approached by two Premier League clubs to sign him as a free agent, offering a sizable salary.
“He had plans to stay, but if Barca doesn’t give him the salary of his choice he won’t sign a new deal – the situation is ‘really complicated’ now.”
It is not yet clear whether Prem teams have approached Dembele – but Newcastle and Man Utd are itching to bolster their attacking ranks to help their feud at opposite ends of the table.
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