Ousmane Dembélé has insisted that contract negotiations at Barcelona continue and warned that he will not be “blackmailed” after he was left out of the squad and told to leave with immediate effect.
In a strongly worded statement that left open the possibility of his staying but revealed the severity of the breakdown in relations with the club, Dembélé said he would “not allow anyone to attribute intentions to me that I have never had” or “speak for me or my agent, who I trust entirely”. He also insisted that he “will not allow anyone to say I am not committed to the sporting project” – precisely the accusation aimed at him by Barcelona’s director of football, Mateu Alemany.
