French international midfielder Osman Dembele has renewed his contract with Barcelona until 2024, the Catalan club announced Thursday.
This extension is the end of a long series of negotiations that have been going on for several months, after Barcelona had 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 in the midst of last season, as the Blaugrana coach Xavi Hernandez dismissed 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.
Xavi used all his influence to re-launch negotiations in the most tense moment, to keep the best goal-maker in “La Liga” last season (13 assists) in Catalonia.
Dembele puts his top priority on continuing 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.