Contract negotiations stall for major Barcelona talent and Man United could take immediate advantage

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Barcelona’s financial problems are continuing to take their toll on the club’s ability to sign players and offer the best deals to current first-team staff, with one major star coming to another career crossroads.

ESPN noted back in 2021 that Barca’s debt was over a billion euros, and to that end it’s a wonder that Joan Laporta has managed to bring the club back from the brink of potential bankruptcy.

In order to finance the revamp of the new Camp Nou, the club are looking at private debt investment of $1.6bn according to Bloomberg, and The Athletic also note how Laporta had to pull various ‘economic levers’ in order for the club to be able to have a semblance of a decent transfer window last summer.

Frankly, it’s an awful mess that the club are in, and it’s hard to argue against they were put there by the dealings of former president, Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Now it appears that the club may not be in a position to stop their rivals from tempting Ousmane Dembele to leave the Catalans.

According to Sport, Barca are unable to offer the French World Cup winner a raise on his current salary, and with his contract apparently due to end in 2024, if an accord can’t be found with his representatives, the club could be forced to cash in now.

Injured for the last few weeks, there’s little doubt Dembele has become Barca’s most important player alongside the also injured Pedri, and Xavi will need to work overtime to convince him to stay if there’s no movement on finances.

That’s because, as TodoFichajes note, Man United are willing to pay his release clause, and will almost certainly be able to offer him a more attractive financial package.

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