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Barcelona make clear decision on Chelsea and Man Utd target Ousmane Dembele's future
BARCELONA star Ousmane Dembele is being tracked by a host of top European clubs
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Both Chelsea and Manchester United have been dealt a transfer blow by Barcelona, with reports indicating that the La Liga giants are backing Ousmane Dembele to finally come good at the Camp Nou. The Catalan giants are also set to make one final attempt to tie Dembele down to a new deal.
Dembele has been ravaged by injuries on a persistent basis ever since he arrived at Barca from Borussia Dortmund back in 2017.
The French winger has struggled to fulfill his potential as a result of his fitness issues - and there had been a suggestion that the club could be ready to facilitate an exit for the 24-year-old.
Both Chelsea and United are believed to be keen on taking advantage of Barcelona's financial woes by striking a cut-price deal for Dembele is he is made available for transfer - and a new report from SPORT reveals that the duo, along with Juventus and Bayern Munich, have all held discussions with Dembele's representatives.
But Dembele's host of admirers look destined to end up disappointed in their pursuit of the speedy winger; with Barca seemingly making their stance on Dembele clear.
According to Football Espana, Barcelona are set to pin their Champions League hopes on Dembele by handing the attacker an unexpected start after his return to fitness.
New Barca boss Xavi Hernandez is set to be without Ansu Fati for the crunch clash with Bayern Munich on Wednesday night; meaning Dembele will be handed the chance to lead the line for the Catalan giants.
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Xavi's huge show of faith in Dembele means it's unlikely that the Spaniard would consider sanctioning an exit for the former Dortmund star - even though the winger is now in the final 12 months of his current agreement with the club.
Barcelona remain desperate to tie Dembele down to a new deal, but it remains to be seen if they could be persuaded to cash in on their star should he refuse to pen an extension.
The report from SPORT outlines that Barcelona are set to make one final attempt to try and persuade Dembele to commit to the club's rebuilding project under Xavi.
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The club are set to give Dembele a deadline of New Year's Eve to pen a new deal with the club - with Dembele free to discuss a pre-contract agreement with clubs from overseas if he decides to shun Barcelona's final proposal.
Barca have reportedly laid out a lucrative bonus-dependant contract that would see Dembele become the club's top earner if all the conditions are met; although their offer would see no increase to Dembele's basic salary.
But with the financial muscle that clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United possess, it's hard to see that offer from Barcelona enticing Dembele to remain in Spain given the riches that will be on offer from elsewhere.