The ongoing saga between Barcelona and Ousmane Dembélé has taken another twist, with the forward demanding a huge salary to stay at the Camp Nou.
According to journalist Gerard Romero, the Frenchman wants a staggering gross annual salary of up to €40m, with a signing bonus of €20m.
The 24-year-old’s contract expires in June 2022, and time is running out for Barca to tie down the player, who will be able to talk to other clubs in January.
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Journalist Fabrizio Romano added further weight to Romero’s claims, and stated that the club’s recent acquisition of Ferran Torres from Manchester City proves that the money is there to meet Dembele’s demands.
Barca agreed a deal in the region of €55m on Wednesday and subsequently set his buyout clause at €1 billion.
Dembélé now wants the club to prove that he is valued just as much as Torres, and this tug of war between the two parties looks set to continue.
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This is despite Dembélé having largely a season to forget so far for the La Liga giants, with knee and hamstring injuries curtailing his progress.
He is yet to score in eight appearances across La Liga and the Champions League, but did register two assists in Barca’s two most recent league matches against Elche and Sevilla.
Xavi’s side return to action after the Christmas break away at Real Mallorca on Sunday.
Featured Image Credit: Image: PATopics: Barcelona, Ousmane Dembele
