Ousmane Dembele slammed FC Barcelona
contract uncertainty claiming he still wants to play for the club.
He said in a statement: “Gossip about me has been piling up for four years. It’s been
fours years since people have spoken for me, shamefully lied with one sole purpose –
to harm me.
“As of today it’s over. From today I will speak honestly without giving in to any kind
of blackmail.
“My message is transparent. I forbid anyone to give the impression that I am not
involved in the sports project.
“I forbid anyone to attribute intentions to me that I have never had. I forbid anyone
to speak for me or my representative, whom I fully trust.
Read Also:Xavi insists Dembele must decide future now or leave Barcelona
“Still under contract, I am fully involved and at the disposal of my club, my coach.
“I have always given everything for my colleagues and also for all the partners – it is
not now that this is going to change. I am not a man who cheats and even less a man
who has a habit of giving in to blackmail.
“As you know there are negotiations. I let my agent handle it, it’s his turf.
“My field is the ball, playing football, sharing moments of joy with my team-mates.
Above all, let’s focus on winning.”
Dembele was given a 48-hour deadline to reach an agreement over a new Barca
contract after negotiations hit an impasse.
The winger reportedly demanded £700,000 a week and that meant the deadline
passed without any progress in talks.
In response, Barcelona chief Mateu Alemany said:
“It’s clear that Dembele does not want to continue with Barcelona. He doesn’t want to be part of our project.
“We told Dembele he has to leave immediately. We expect Ousmane to be sold before
January 31.”
The sporting consequence is that we don’t want to have players who don’t want to be
at Barca. “The fact that he was not in the [squad] list for today is the consequence of
this whole process. The coach has our full support, it’s a consistent attitude.”
The Barca squad list for the meeting with their Liga rivals was then revealed on social
media, with Dembele absent from the 22-man party.
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