FC Barcelona want to address the issue of some pending and unavoidable renewal cases during the International break for the FIFA World Cup. There are seven pending cases of renewals and three of them are being considered as more crucial which include the renewals of Iñaki Peña, Ousmane Dembélé, and Alejandro Balde.
Alejandro Balde:
The renewal of Alejandro Balde is the club’s top priority as the 19-year-old La Masia gem’s current deal at Camp Nou expires in 2024. However, as per recent reports, the club has already started negotiations with Balde’s entourage in their quest to reach an agreement.
The promising young defender has established himself as an integral part of the La Blaugrana system this season. Even in the 2021-22 season which was not very pleasant in terms of the result, Balde still stood out in whatever minutes he could get.
Fast forward to the next season and he became the starter for the team over the likes of Jordi Alba and Marcos Alonso. He really excels at attacking output, and up to now, he has racked 3 assists this season in La Liga so far.
Recent reports suggest that the negotiations are in the advanced stages with the player’s agent Jorge Mendes to extend his stay at Camp Nou until 2027. Balde’s renewal will be another big step for the Catalan giants to build the squad for the present and the future.
Ousmane Dembélé:
Having arrived at Barcelona long before, Dembele couldn’t find much prominence as he was plagued with recurring injury issues which kept him out of action for the majority of his early days. However, Xavi’s arrival has worked wonders as the Frenchman turned the tides around.
He is a key figure in Xavi’s system, which reiterates the importance of generating space using wide wingers, and Ousmane Dembele excels in this aspect. Rather a pacy player, he excels at dribbling and take-ons and is also lethal on the break. His finishing has also improved which helped Ousmane put the ball in the back of the net a few times this season.
He has also managed to maintain his regular fitness level by taking the help of personal trainers, and he also praised Xavi as to how he has shown faith in him, which he certainly looks grateful for.
The star Frenchman has played 873 minutes this season in La Liga, Gathering 4 Goals and 5 Assists. He has outperformed his xG by a margin of 1.57 and he has also created 31 chances in total and has a 52% shots on-target rate.
His performance has not gone unrewarded, as the explosive forward now will be proposed an extension till 2026. Talks with his agents are likely to begin soon, and it’s expected for him to renew as he looks satisfied here now that Xavi has helped him rediscover himself.
Iñaki Peña:
Iñaki Peña’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season and the club wants to renew the contract of the 23-years-old La Masia graduate. The Spaniard is on the radar of Real Betis and Galatasaray and any firm offer from either of the club can make things complicated.
