Barcelona manager Xavi remains keen to keep Ousmane Dembele at Camp Nou, reaching out to the star with a phone call to try and convince him to stay.
Dembele, who joined Barcelona as a replacement for Neymar back in 2017, has struggled with injuries for much of his time with the La Liga club. However, after a strong end to the 2021-22 season, the former Borussia Dortmund man is in high demand.
Chelsea are among those to express an interest, with manager Thomas Tuchel still an admirer after taking the 25-year-old to Dortmund in the first place. However, despite Dembele's Barca deal running out this summer and his future uncertain, Xavi has not given up on the talent.
According to L'Equipe (via Get French Football News ), Xavi has not given up hope of convincing Dembele to stay, despite just days remaining on the forward's contract. Dembele's most recent comeback came under the management of the former Barca captain, and he led La Liga for assists last season despite playing less than 1500 minutes in the competition.
The same report suggests club and player remain at odds over money, with Barca offering €18m (£15.5m) gross and Dembele after the same amount after tax. Barcelona's financial issues have seen them attempt to convince high earners to reduce their wages as Xavi's team chases a first league title since 2018-19.
Sport reports that Tuchel has called on Chelsea to make a concerted effort to get a deal over the line for Dembele. Tuchel's reported obsession with the Barca star means the Blues continue to be linked with a man who made the Bundesliga's team of the season under the German boss.
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The Dembele situation is complicated by Barcelona's pursuit of Leeds United man Raphinha. The Brazil international is believed to have agreed personal terms with the Catalan club, but Barca and Leeds remain far away on a transfer fee.
Chelsea are also reportedly in the mix for Raphinha, who played a big part in Leeds' best moments last season. Manchester United and Arsenal have also been mentioned in connection with a move, but any buyer may need to part with as much as £65m.
Barcelona themselves spent big money in January - both on wages and fees - to bring Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Camp Nou. They may yet make further sales this summer as they aim to improve on last season's second-place finish, with Memphis Depay and Martin Braithwaite linked with exits, but there is still an appetite to keep Dembele on board - from Xavi as much as anyone around the club.
