Dembele will stay with Barcelona until 2024
French international midfielder Ousmane Dembele has renewed his contract
with Barcelona until 2024, the Catalan club announced on Thursday.
This extension is the end of a long series of negotiations that have been going on
for several months, after Barcelona announced earlier the player’s intention to leave
the club, only to return and the two parties finally reached an agreement to stay in
the “Camp Nou”.
The relationship between the two sides witnessed a noticeable tension last season,
as Barca coach Xavi Hernandez expelled Dembele from the team’s group and gave
him an ultimatum: extend or leave. But within six months, the club’s management
succeeded in reaching a formal agreement.
And Catalan media indicated that Dembele agreed to reduce his salary in light of
the difficult economic conditions that the club is going through.
After falling prey to huge debts (more than one billion dollars in the long term),
Barcelona at the end of June gave up 10% of its television rights to the American
company Sixth Street for the next 25 years, for 207.5 million euros, and is expected
to give up a new 15% for 330 million. Euros, according to the Catalan press, will revive
his treasury to include more players who are able to make up for his disappointing last season.
The entry of this money allowed Barcelona to conclude three deals, as it included Brazilian
Rafinha from Leeds United (for 70 million euros, including bonuses), Ivory Coast midfielder
Frank Kessier from AC Milan and Danish defender Andreas Christensen from Chelsea,
on two free contracts.
And places Dembele on top of his priorities to continue to shine with a famous club such
as Barcelona in an attempt to regain his place in the French national team before the 2022
World Cup in Qatar (November 21 – December 18).
Dembele has not played in the 2018 World Cup “Rooster” shirt since he was injured against
Hungary in the last European Cup in 2020.
Dembele will stay with Barcelona until 2024
