“We have to stop this right now,” Xavi Hernández said. The day he took over as Barcelona manager Xavi had insisted that “in his right position, worked on well, Ousmane Dembélé could be the best in the world” and that extending the Frenchman’s contract was a “priority”. Sitting alongside him, a little giddy at the opening of a new era, was Joan Laporta. The Barça president, who had declared Dembélé “better than [Kylian] Mbappé” a week earlier, flashed a knowing smile. “Understood,” he said, and everybody laughed.
More than two months later, no progress has been made. Months of negotiations achieved nothing except mutual accusations. Dembélé could already talk to other clubs and although Xavi had wanted him to stay, there was no deal, the gap between offer and demand too great. Barcelona concluded he didn’t really want to stay and that it was time to cut their losses. Xavi handed him an ultimatum: “renew your contract with us or go now.” Or, you know, don’t.
