Xavi 'makes phone call' to Ousmane Dembele amid Thomas Tuchel 'obsession'

Barcelona manager Xavi remains keen to keep Ousmane Dembele at Camp Nou, reaching out to the star with a phone call to try and convince him to stay.

Dembele, who joined Barcelona as a replacement for Neymar back in 2017, has struggled with injuries for much of his time with the La Liga club. However, after a strong end to the 2021-22 season, the former Borussia Dortmund man is in high demand.

Chelsea are among those to express an interest, with manager Thomas Tuchel still an admirer after taking the 25-year-old to Dortmund in the first place. However, despite Dembele's Barca deal running out this summer and his future uncertain, Xavi has not given up on the talent.

According to L'Equipe (via Get French Football News ), Xavi has not given up hope of convincing Dembele to stay, despite just days remaining on the forward's contract. Dembele's most recent comeback came under the management of the former Barca captain, and he led La Liga for assists last season despite playing less than 1500 minutes in the competition.

The same report suggests club and player remain at odds over money, with Barca offering €18m (£15.5m) gross and Dembele after the same amount after tax. Barcelona's financial issues have seen them attempt to convince high earners to reduce their wages as Xavi's team chases a first league title since 2018-19.

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