Barcelona got here agonizingly near shedding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. It by no means actually had an opportunity of eliminating Ousmane Dembélé.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta mentioned on Tuesday the deal to signal Aubameyang was sealed a minute earlier than the switch window deadline ended on Monday night time, and that Dembélé inexplicably rejected two good gives to go away the membership.
The membership didn’t need Dembélé to remain after the French participant’s brokers turned down a number of gives to increase his contract in negotiations that lasted practically six months.
“We had made a good offer for him to renew his contract and stay, but it became a financial issue and he wanted more,” Laporta mentioned. “We showed him two good offers (at the transfer deadline) for him to play with another club during these last six months, the last one from an English club, and he didn’t accept them and preferred to stay here. We were surprised.”
Dembélé’s contract ends in June and he’ll be capable of go away without cost. Barcelona broke its personal report to signal the younger ahead from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 in a deal price as much as 147 million euros (then $175 million), together with add-ons.
Dembélé’s departure would have cleared extra wage cap area. (File)
“It’s hard to understand,” mentioned Laporta, who final 12 months referred to as Dembélé higher than Kylian Mbappé. “We think he may already have a deal with another club. That’s what his agent hinted.”
Laporta mentioned Dembélé’s permanence was “not good for him or the club.” He didn’t say if the participant can be reinstated to the squad of coach Xavi Hernández, saying the choice can be made taking the membership’s greatest curiosity under consideration. Dembélé was marred by well being issues this season and all through his first years with the Catalan membership.
Dembélé’s departure would have cleared extra wage cap area and made the addition of Aubameyang a lot simpler, Laporta mentioned.
He mentioned the paperwork wanted to seal the cope with the Gabon striker arrived one minute earlier than Monday’s midnight deadline. The president raised his fist in celebration as he left the membership’s headquarters after closing the deal, and he was adopted by Aubameyang and his representatives a number of moments later.
The paperwork from Arsenal allowed the participant to develop into a free agent, and gave Barcelona additional time to make the deal official, which ought to occur within the coming days, Laporta mentioned.
Aubameyang arrived within the metropolis on Monday to finalize negotiations after being stripped of the captaincy at Arsenal for disciplinary causes. He went to the African Cup of Nations however didn’t play after being identified with coronary heart lesions throughout his restoration from the coronavirus.
Barcelona’s different signings within the winter window had been veteran Brazil defender Dani Alves and forwards Ferran Torres and Adama Traoré.
The membership has been slowly restructuring its funds after it couldn’t maintain Lionel Messi on the finish of final season. It has already been eradicated within the Champions League, the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey. It sits fifth within the Spanish league, 15 factors behind chief Real Madrid with a sport in hand.