Transfer Talk: Barcelona want Dembele to stay despite PSG, Premier League interest
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The 2022 January transfer window is closed, but there’s still plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!
Barcelona are considering keeping Ousmane Dembele past this season amid an uptick in form since the winter break.
The 24-year-old was at the centre of prolonged transfer saga in January, but Foot Mercato are reporting that the Catalans are keen on keeping the Frenchman.
Dembele’s contract ends in the summer and there has been no agreement reached due to his agents refusing to budge from their demands of a €20m net in salary and signing bonus.
If Dembele does opt to leave the Blaugrana, the Frenchman certainly won’t be short of options when it comes to his next destination, with the report stating he has a verbal agreement with Paris Saint-Germain.
If a move to PSG does not materialise, there is also plenty of interest from the Premier League — with Newcastle United, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur all looking at him.
Despite all of the above, there is still a chance that Dembele stays at Barcelona as he has never openly declared a desire to leave.
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– Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Franck Kessie has signed a contract to join Barcelona, with the deal set to keep him there until June 2026. The midfielder’s contract with AC Milan ends in the summer, when he will move to Camp Nou and earn a net €6.5m-per-season plus add-ons.
– Should AC Milan lose Kessie, Calciomercato has outlined some possible incomings the San Siro side can get excited about ahead of the summer. Lille centre-back Sven Botman would prefer to join AC Milan than Newcastle United, where there is a contract offer with a possible transfer worth €30m plus add-ons. Botman’s teammate Renato Sanches is seen as Kessie’s replacement, even if the Portuguese midfielder is still keeping his options open. Liverpool‘s Divock Origi is another player on AC Milan’s wishlist.
– Foot Mercato have stated that Paulo Dybala himself has enquired about Paris Saint-Germain as his future at Juventus remains murky. He has already taken information regarding Les Parisiens, with it seeming as though the only obstacle is Leonardo Araujo’s precarious position as PSG sporting director.
— AS Roma are interested in signing Anderson Talisca, though the Brazilian may have to reduce his salary of €6.5m-per-season if a move is to materialise, reports Calciomercato, with a transfer possible for around €12m. The attacking midfielder has played for Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande and now Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr but is hoping to return to Europe, where he has formerly represented Benfica and Besiktas.
– Leeds United have offered Kalvin Phillips a contract extension and are confident that the academy graduate will stay, reports The Times. The England international has attracted interest from the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, West Ham United and Aston Villa, but Leeds will be desperate for the midfielder to stay at Elland Road. His current contract runs until 2024.