Dembele 'case' remains open as forward returns to Barça side

"Everything is possible in life," said Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang when asked about the remote chance of his "little brother" Ousmane Dembele staying at Camp Nou beyond June 30, when his contract expires.

Aubameyang knows better than most, especially in football, that nothing should be taken as a given. After all, he just pushed through his move to Barça because Arsenal rescinded his contract with two minutes to run in the transfer window.

Reaching an agreement with Dembele, though, seems almost impossible. The fractures between the club and the player's camp that have come up in negotiations appear irreparable. Barça did everything to get rid of him in January, but he ended up staying.

Dembele is grateful to coach Xavi Hernandez, who has given him game time when others wanted him in the stands as his contract runs down. The French forward also feels part of a squad that wants him to stay.

Sceptiscim at Camp Nou

Barcelona are not closing the door on restarting conversations, but won't take the first step. That's up to the player. In addition, president Joan Laporta is not willing to match the previous offer made in January. Talks would start from scratch and from a much lower starting point.

It's for that reason that many at Camp Nou are pessimistic regarding the issue. Dembele's still not signed for any other club but his agent Moussa Sissoko is still holding a public 'auction' which Barça won't participate in.

And Xavi? He's always said he wants the No.7 to stay.

Growing role

Normality is being restored little by little around Dembele. After being whistled when he was an unused substitute against Atletico Madrid, he has now played more than 100 minutes since coming back into the side against Espanyol, Napoli and Valencia. He started at Mestalla on Sunday and was involved in two of the goals.

Xavi has made it clear Dembele is part of the squad and, for now, he is keeping his word. The Dembele case remains open.