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Barcelona manager Xavi reportedly plans to deploy Ousmane Dembele only in away matches until the end of the season. The club’s supporters and the player are not on the greatest of terms right now, which has allegedly prompted Xavi to find this unique solution.
Dembele, who signed for the Blaugrana in the summer of 2017, has made numerous headlines in the last few weeks. The Frenchman initially asked for a significant pay bump to extend his stay at the club. When the Catalans did not oblige, he told the board that he wanted to run down his contract and leave for free next summer.
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The Barcelona board didn’t want to lose their €140million acquisition for free in the summer and pressurized him to either leave in January or renew. Failing to find him a suitor in time, Barca have begrudgingly allowed the winger to remain at the club until the summer.
Dembele watched on from the bench on Sunday as his team bagged an important 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou. Despite not being involved, the 24-year-old was jeered by the home supporters when his name was announced alongside other bench-warmers over the loudspeaker before kick-off.
As per madrid-barcelona.com(via El Nacional), Xavi has taken note of the animosity between the player and the supporters and has proposed a solution. The former Barcelona midfielder reportedly wants to deploy Dembele in away matches to protect him from the hostile atmosphere. The manager still believes the France international can be an asset to his team and wants to give him an opportunity to earn his paycheck.
Dembele could play for Barcelona at Camp Nou in case of emergency
Xavi’s idea of only using the former Borussia Dortmund man in away matches could turn out to be a masterstroke. However, that does not mean Dembele will never play at Camp Nou again. If the need arises and Xavi needs someone besides Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ferran Torres, and Adama Traore, Dembele will be the first to get the call.
If Sunday’s reception was any indication, the wantaway star will be in for a tough outing. It will be interesting to see how he responds to the hostility during his next trip to Camp Nou.
