With many players now being considered by Barcelona as either disposable or absolute priorities to retain and renew, it is only natural that the Catalan club will begin making advances to negotiate renewals with such figures.
One such player who has been held in high regard, particularly by Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, is French winger Ousmane Dembele. Xavi considers him an absolutely vital piece of his puzzle for the image of Barcelona the manager has in his mind heading into the future.
As reported by SPORT, the player most recently himself discussed his future prospects involving Barcelona in an interview with ‘MARCA’ in which he discusses various aspects of his situation at the Blaugrana club.
Intent on continuing at Barcelona:
When asked about his current morale at Barcelona and whether or not a possible renewal option is on the table, the Frenchman made it clear that he wishes to continue with the Catalan club:
“…Barca want to renew me until 2027 and my agent is talking to them. I’m happy here and I want to continue. We’ll see what happens…”
Complications of last year:
The 26-year-old winger was also questioned regarding his motivation to leave the club last year and possible conversations with French club Paris Saint-Germain, to which he replied:
“…I did not see myself outside of Barça. We were negotiating, something that is normal in the world of football. Sometimes things went well and others not so well, but in the end an agreement was reached. There was a lot of talk about PSG perhaps because I am French, but there was nothing at any time with this club…”
Improved morale following improved injury record:
The Frenchman also recalls how, courtesy of the medical treatments and physical improvements in regard to his muscular injuries, his game has improved and he enjoys playing much more now:
“…Now I am happier because I have been able to play with continuity. I work a lot on the hamstrings because I had problems. I do it before and after the game and I also have a physio in France who sends me a schedule. I have managed to have more continuity and for a player it is important...”
Props to Xavi Hernandez:
A big factor in this surge of improvement for Ousmane Dembele was the confidence of Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, something he acknowledges:
“…Having the confidence of the coach is very important for a player and the coach has given it to me. I know that I am a person who must help the team by giving assists and scoring goals and I assume this responsibility. Xavi has given confidence to the team and that has been noticed in the results…”
Objectives for Barcelona next season:
Despite considering the 2022/2023 season a good year for Barcelona, Dembele believes it is the ultimate European prize that the Catalans now wish to strive towards the most:
“…We have won the League, which we had not won for three years and that is important for the players. Now we all want the Champions League. It is a very complicated competition. We are going to see if things are better for us in Europe and we can reach far…”
