Barcelona's growing optimism with Dembele
Ousmane Dembele was Barcelona's most lively player in their Champions League group-stage draw with Benfica on Tuesday, with the game not going as the Catalans had hoped it would. On a night with few positives, Dembele was one.
His arrival gave the side new life, and he injected an energy into the game that had been missing without him on the pitch.
"He changed the dynamics of the game," Xavi Hernandez said of Dembele afterwards. "He made the opponents scared.
"Things happen when he's on the pitch, he makes a difference."
The 24-year-old showed his importance to Barcelona again, and Xavi has made his belief in the player clear since his arrival at the Camp Nou.
The coach has complete trust in him and considers him to be a key part of what he wants to do with the club moving forward. He has spoken about Dembele in glowing terms, and the forward has been boosted by the support.
A desire to renew
Joan Laporta has given Xavi full power over the sporting side of Barcelona, and the coach is desperate to renew Dembele. He's had a number of conversations with the Frenchman to make his desire to keep him clear, explaining that he'll be an important player.
For now, everything is positive and there is a belief held by Xavi and upstairs at the club that Dembele will put pen to paper on a new deal at the Camp Nou.
But there is an awareness that the player's agent could be an obstacle. He has been reluctant to agree a new contract, and things have dragged on for longer than they'd have wanted as a result.
Dembele's contract ends in June, making him free to speak to clubs from January 1.
For now, Xavi doesn't want to punish Dembele for not renewing, and he's not going to be sent to the stands if he doesn't.
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