Ousmane Dembele is poised to leave Barcelona as a free agent this summer and complete a move to the Premier League.
Barca have already completed the signing of Ferran Torres from Manchester City this month for an initial fee of £46million, with potential add-ons meaning the deal could rise to £54million.
If that was not enough to signal Dembele’s future at the Camp Nou is short, the club’s desperate means of registering Torres – agreeing a new long-term contract with defender Samuel Umtiti to spread out his wages – were the latest indication the forward is likely on his way out.
Recently, Barca boss Xavi Hernandez struck an optimistic tone when asked on Dembele’s future, by claiming that he could accept a reduced terms deal – but that Umtiti was the player whose contract was altered for a short-term need is indicative that the forward cannot agree terms.
There is less than six months remaining on the 24-year-old’s deal and he appears to be increasingly likely to depart the Catalan giants after five seasons.