The moment that Ousmane Dembélé signs a new contract with Barcelona is getting closer, so reports Mundo Deportivo. Barca have managed to break the deadlock over contract negotiations and assume the 24-year-old attacker will extend his expiring contract until mid-2025. There is also an option for an additional year.
Negotiations with Dembele and his agents have been difficult for a long time, but Barcelona have reportedly been able to pull that off. The club has had constructive talks in recent weeks and an agreement is expected to be reached in November. That has everything to do with the wishes of Dembélé, who has made it clear to his representatives that he wants to stay in Catalonia.
Due to financial problems, Barcelona is unable to continue to pay Dembele his current salary for the coming seasons. The French wing striker, who made his first minutes of the season against Dynamo Kiev (0-1 win) on Tuesday, is willing to play for a lower base salary. His new contract does include higher bonuses, which are dependent on both individual and team performance.
Dembele could have signed for much more money with Manchester City or Chelsea, but feels indebted to Barcelona. The Spanish superpower paid around 130 million euros for Dembélé in 2017, who has not yet succeeded in the Camp Nou, partly due to lingering injuries. The attacker is on 119 official duels for Barcelona, in which he scored 30 times and delivered 21 assists.
For Barcelona, Dembele’s contract extension would be the next major blow to be struck. The club is doing everything it can to keep its players with future prospects and previously reached an agreement with Pedri and Ansu Fati, who signed for a long time. Negotiations are also underway with Gavi, who broke through in the first team this season, and Ronald Araújo.