PSG, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur were all linked with Dembele on the final day of the winter transfer window. However, none of the clubs could reach an agreement with the player and his agent.
According to reports from Marcos Benito of El Chiringuito, Joan Laporta offered Dembele a contract worth €14 million as a final offer to renew. The player rejected that, too.
Had the Frenchman accepted the proposal, he would have continued to be amongst the highest-paid players at the club. Given his response, it seems he is firm about his initial ask for €40 million in annual wages.
The offer from Laporta was a final effort to renew the winger and thereby permit more moves in the closing hours of the window. Despite Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s move to Barcelona being close to complete, the Frenchman’s renewal would have helped the club sign a defensive reinforcement.
The weirdest part is that the 24-year-old also turned down a move to the Premier League, as Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur both were interested – but also could not meet the player’s salary demands, as per the reliable Helena Condis.
With the final proposal rejected, too, it seems like Dembele’s future at Barcelona is set to be on the stands. The player will stay in Catalonia until June but will be excluded from the first-team action as decided by Xavi. Unless, of course, Mateu Alemany can work his wonders and push a deal for him over the line.
