Barcelona to open contract talks with key young players this week - Reports

Barcelona are set to open contract talks with their young duo of Ousmane Dembele and Ilaix Moriba this week, according to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (via Barca Blaugranes).

Barcelona are in for a massive summer. The club are due a massive squad overhaul, with president Joan Laporta keen to sell some of their fringe players to bring in some much-needed revenue to buy new ones.

However, the Blaugrana are also looking to tie down the future of some of their key first-team players so they don't lose them for free in the foreseeable future. One of them is French winger Ousmane Dembele.

Dembele's contract expires in 2022. Barcelona are looking to extend his contract, as the club's hierarchy believe in the quality of the 24-year-old, despite Dembele enduring an injury-plagued stint at the Camp Nou. Barcelona also don’t want to lose for free a player for whom they paid €105 million.

Despite showing interest in renewing Dembele's contract, However, Barcelona are wary whether the Frenchman would sign it or not. The Blaugrana are expecting Dembele to already have offers from other European clubs, with Juventus being one of them.

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Barcelona will tell Ousmane Dembélé to leave the club if he doesn't sign a new contract this summer. The Frenchman has one year left on his deal and the club don't want to lose him for nothing.(Source: ESPN) pic.twitter.com/Xl4NBlcsmN

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) June 12, 2021

Barcelona looking to tie down Ilaix Moriba with a promise of first-team football

Barcelona should not have trouble in tying down Ilaix Moriba for the foreseeable future. According to the same source, the 18-year-old midfielder is keen on continuing with the club he joined 11 years ago.

Ilaix Moriba played 14 La Liga games for Barcelona last season. In his new deal, Blaugrana will reportedly promise more first-team football to the 18-year-old. Barcelona are also ready to offer a five-year deal to Moriba, which will last till the summer of 2026.

Barcelona are willing to offer a substantial pay rise to Moriba, with various clauses and variables to sweeten the deal. Despite putting forward an offer that is difficult to refuse, both parties are expecting a tricky negotiating period, though.

Ilaix Moriba's intention is to continue at Barcelona. [sport] pic.twitter.com/9tCtEAwPqi

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) June 9, 2021

Barcelona have a plethora of young talent coming through their ranks. The likes of Pedri, Moriba and Ansu Fati are the players the Blaugrana should build their team around. Falling back on La Masia might be the way to addressing their on-field struggles in recent seasons.

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