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Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele has overcome his struggles and finally established himself as a key player under Xavi Hernandez at Camp Nou. If latest reports are anything to go by, it seems the Frenchman will continue donning the Blaugrana jersey for the next few years.
According to football journalist Ivan San Antonio (via Reshad Rahman on Twitter), Ousmane Dembele has no intentions of leaving Barcelona anytime soon. The winger is said to be willing to sign a new contract with the Blaugrana to extend his stay at the club.
Dembele signed a two-year contract after running out his deal at Camp Nou last summer. His current contract will expire next year, but Barcelona are looking to tie the 25-year-old to a new deal following his brilliant performances in recent months.
According to Goal, the Blaugrana are prepared to reward the player by kickstarting extension talks with him next month. They also want to do that to ward off interest from Paris Saint-Germain who are reportedly monitoring the attacker's situation at Camp Nou.
Dembele is said to be happy with his new role under Xavi and would love to continue working with the tactician. After scoring in Barcelona's 1-0 triumph over Real Sociedad on Wednesday (January 25), the Blaugrana manager once again stressed his faith in the Frenchman and praised his impact:
“I think Dembele has matured a lot since we took over. We have just given him the tools. He is lethal,” Xavi said in his post-match interview. "We always say when he comes inside, he has to shoot more because he has that quality and he can make the difference in games."
“You see the faces of the full-backs, they suffer. We have just given him confidence. He has so much potential. I believe in him. I think a lot of this comes down to making the right decisions. He is also enjoying himself and the fans are enjoying him," continued Xavi.
This season, the French forward has made 27 appearances for the Blaugrana across competitions, recording eight goals and seven assists.
What have Barcelona achieved so far this season?
Although the Blaugrana will be left to rue their elimination from the UEFA Champions League after spending heavily in the summer, it hasn't been an all-negative season for the club.
Barcelona won their first title under Xavi Hernandez when they claimed the Spanish Super Cup earlier this month The Blaugrana will take even more pride in the fact that they beat their arch-rivals Real Madrid 3-1 to win the title.
As things stand, they're leading the race for the Liga title with 44 points in 17 games and have progressed to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. They're also active in the UEFA Europa League and will take on Manchester United in the Round of 16 next month.
