Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted that Ousmane Dembele "wants to stay" at Camp Nou.
The France international's contract with the Catalan giants is due to expire next June, and Manchester United are allegedly determined to sign the attacker on a free transfer.
Barcelona are believed to be finding it difficult to agree terms with the World Cup winner due to their ongoing financial problems, with the forward seemingly capable of securing a more lucrative deal elsewhere.
However, Laporta has insisted that Dembele is keen to remain at Camp Nou, and the club's president has claimed that the 24-year-old is a superior player to Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe.
"We have a very good relationship with Dembele and he wants to stay," Laporta told TV3. "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 Mbappe."
Dembele has only made three appearances for Barcelona this season, having missed the start of the campaign with a knee injury before picking up a hamstring problem.
Matt Law
