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Ousmane Dembele has raised his salary demands at Barcelona and is now considering leaving the Nou Camp following the signing of Ferran Torres, according to reports in Spain.
Dembele’s current deal is due to expire at the end of the season and he is now free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with other clubs.
The France international has struggled with injuries since joining the Catalan giants in a £135m move Borussia Dortmund in 2017.
However, Barcelona are keen to tie Dembele down to a new contract – albeit on a lower salary as they look to reduce their huge wage bill.
According to reports in Spain, Dembele had previously informed Barcelona he was happy to extend his stay at the Nou Camp.
But the signing of Torres, who recently joined Barcelona in a £55m move from Manchester City, has made Dembele reconsider his position.
According to Spanish newspaper SPORT, Dembele sees Torres as a threat to his place in the side and has questioned whether Barcelona are only offering him a new contract so that they can sell him in the summer, rather than having him leave on a free.
Dembele has also questioned why he should accept a reduced salary while Barcelona remain linked with the likes of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.
According to SPORT, Dembele’s representatives are now asking Barcelona for huge salary, which could add up to €80m (£67.3m) over the course of the contract.
They have also demanded a €15m (£12.6m) agent's commission and a €30m (£25.2m) signing-on bonus, which was reportedly sacrificed when Dembele moved to the Nou Camp in 2017.
Barcelona deem those demands to be "crazy", according to the report, but head coach Xavi remains hopeful that Dembele will commit his long-term future to the club.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s 1-0 win over Real Mallorca, Xavi said: "I am not disappointed.
"It's a negotiation. Sometimes advisors and agents can be difficult. But Barca's position is clear and the process is ongoing.
"I am optimistic and I hope that Ousmane will make an effort [to renew]. He has a fantastic offer.
“There's always a back and forth."
Barcelona are desperate to reduce their wage bill to bring them into line with La Liga's salary cap regulations.
A number of senior players, including Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba, have already accepted a reduced salaries to bring the wage bill down but Barcelona will be unable to official register Torres as their player unless it is trimmed further.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Ousmane Dembele, Barcelona, Football, La Liga, Transfers
Rory O'Callaghan