Barcelona Prez makes tall claims on Ousmane Dembele; says 'he's better than Kylian Mbappe'

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has made an audacious claim as he believes Frenchman Ousmane Dembele is better than PSG star Kylian Mbappe, who finished ninth in the recently concluded Ballon d'Or 2021 rankings. His comments came amid the uncertainty looming around the 24-year old's contract status at the Nou Camp. Laporta claims that Dembele is keen on staying with the La Liga giants amid interest from top guns like Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United.

Laporta claims Ousmane Dembele is better than Kylian Mbappe

While speaking to TV3, Barcelona president Joan Laporta said, "We have a very good relationship with Dembele, and he wants to stay. We also want him to stay because he's a great player. These situations need negotiations with representatives who want the best for the player. I'm enthusiastic about Dembele. He's a better player than Kylian Mbappe."

Even though the Blaugrana are attempting to extend Dembele's contract at the Nou Camp, Sportsmail reported that the French star had no interest in signing new terms. Meanwhile, Mundo Deportivo reported that Newcastle United put up an 'astronomical offer' for the 24-year old after they got an increase in finances thanks to the new backing of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The offer is believed to be in the range of €15 million (£12.73m).

If Barcelona are unable to reach terms with Dembele, they could lose the Frenchman on a free as his deal expires in the summer of 2022. That would be a shame for the Catalan giants considering they signed him for €135 million from Borussia Dortmund in 2017.

Barcelona are currently in seventh place in La Liga standings

Barcelona continues to struggle in La Liga as they are currently in seventh place with 23 points, 13 points behind leaders, and El Clasico rivals Real Madrid, who have played a game more. The Catalan giants will next face Real Betis on Saturday, in what will be a must-win match for them if they want to keep pace with the top four. The Barcelona vs Betis game is scheduled to commence live at 8:45 PM IST on December 4, from Camp Nou.