Xavi makes feelings clear over Ousmane Dembele stalling contract renewal talks with Barcelona: Reports

Barcelona were confident of extending Ousmane Dembele's contract at the club. The Frenchman is set to become a free agent in the summer, but head coach Xavi was certain about retaining the services of the left-footed winger.

The situation changed when the club learned about Dembele's pay raise demands before putting pen to paper on a new deal at Nou Camp. It has reportedly changed Xavi's stance, who is now ready to part ways with the winger.

Ousmane Dembele arrived at Barcelona as one of the most promising forwards in the world. The French international had a phenomenal season with Borussia Dortmund during the 2016-17 season.

Back then, Barcelona had just parted ways with Neymar and brought in the Frenchman to replace the Brazilian. However, Dembele was never able to live up to his potential. One of the several reasons behind his failed spell at Nou Camp were the recurring injuries he suffered every season.

The 24-year-old has become a bit-part player over the years at Barcelona. His five-year contract is set to expire this summer. The French winger will now have to decide on the next step in his career.

A few weeks back, reports from Catalunya suggested that the club and Dembele had verbally agreed to an extension. The decision was made by the club after talks with current manager Xavi Hernandez. Xavi is one of the few people in the club who supports the plan to extend Ousmane Dembele's contract. He holds the French winger in high esteem.

However, things have taken a sharp turn lately. As per reports from AS, Xavi is unhappy with Dembele's decision to stall the process. Moreover, his demand for a higher wage has also irked the Barcelona board. It was reported that these developments changed Xavi's mind about extending Dembele's contract.

PSG looking replace Kylian Mbappe with Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele

Should Barcelona fail to retain Dembele, multiple elite European clubs will be keen to sign the Frenchman. Following the latest developments, PSG are the favorites to sign Dembele in the upcoming transfer window.

PSG want Dembele to fill the void that might be left by Kylian Mbappe, who is almost set to join Real Madrid in the summer. Bringing Dembele to his home country could end up being a masterstroke and will certainly boost the confidence of the Barcelona player.

Dembele has scored 30 goals and assisted 23 more in 126 games for Barcelona.