FC Barcelona are said to be considering the big-money sale of one of their best-performing stars in the January transfer window.
Barca enjoyed a successful transfer window in the off-season compared to a year ago, when they were forced to let go of the likes of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann due to their formerly ailing finances.
The side managed to acquire starters in Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde, while the free-agent signings of Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie provided manager Xavi Hernandez with some much-needed depth in defence and midfield, respectively.
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Another key aspect of their latest window was the contract renewal of winger Ousmane Dembele, who eventually signed a new two-year deal at the Camp Nou in July following some drama-filled negotiations during which he essentially became a free agent for about two weeks.
It is believed the player's camp made some obscene wage demands during talks in December 2021, with Barca unwilling to meet the requests, which subsequently resulted in the Blaugrana issuing an ultimatum to the player that he should sign an extension or leave before the end of the January 2022 transfer deadline.
Dembele ended up staying on and having a productive second half to the season, finishing the 2021/22 LaLiga campaign with 13 assists in 21 outings.
He has continued his good form this season too, with six goal contributions in just eight matches across all competitions for the Spanish giants, and his manager Xavi is said to be very happy with his displays for the team.
However, according to Spanish publication ARA, the Catalan giants are now weighing up the idea of selling the France international "for a high price" in the next window as they look to recoup a large amount of the €130 million (R2.2 billion) they paid Borussia Dortmund for the winger in 2017.
It is reported that the 25-year-old has a €100 million (R1.7 billion) release clause in his contract, and should a potential suitor activate it, the Frenchman would receive €50 million (R861 million) of the total payment as part of a clause in his deal.
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It is further claimed that his agent also wants the Les Bleus star to leave the Camp Nou as he was against the recent renewal in the first place.
Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio has reportedly already been lined up as a potential replacement, with the Spaniard's contract at the Santiago Bernabeu set to expire at the end of the season.
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