French midfielder Ousmane Dembele has extended his contract with Barcelona until 2024, the Catalan club announced on Thursday.
This extension is the conclusion of a long series of negotiations that have been going on for months after Barcelona had previously announced the player’s intention to leave the club only to return, with the two sides finally reaching an agreement to stay at ” camp.” Know.”
Relations between the two sides saw marked tensions midway through last season when Blaugrana manager Xavi Hernandez sacked Dembele from the team’s group and gave him an ultimatum: renew or leave. But within six months, the club’s management managed to come to an official agreement.
And the Catalan media have indicated that Dembélé agreed to cut his salary in light of the difficult economic conditions the club is going through.
Having fallen victim to huge debts (more than one billion dollars in the long term), Barcelona at the end of June ceded 10% of its television rights to the American company Sixth Street for the next 25 years for 207.5 million euros. He is expected to forgo the new 15% for €330m, according to the Catalan press, to revitalize his piggy bank to include more players who can catch up on last season.
Entering this money allowed Barcelona to conclude three deals, including the Brazilian Rafinha from Leeds United (for 70 million euros, including bonuses), midfielder of the Ivory Coast Frank Kessir from AC Milan and Danish defender Andreas Christensen from Chelsea » under two free contracts. .
Xavi used all his influence to reopen negotiations at the most tense moment to keep La Liga’s top assister from last season (13 assists) in Catalonia.
Dembélé is making it his top priority to continue to shine at a renowned club like Barcelona in an attempt to regain his place in the French squad ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (November 21-December 18).
Dembele has not played in the Rooster shirt of the 2018 World Cup since he was injured against Hungary at the last European Championship in 2020.
