The end of a long soap opera.
After several months of disagreements and then patching up with FC Barcelona, Ousmane Dembélé extended his two-year lease with the Catalan club this Thursday morning until 2024. Arrived in the summer of 2017 at Barça from Dortmund to compensate for the loss of Neymar who left for PSG, the 2018 world champion had been at the end of his contract since June 30.
The French international returned to Catalonia on Sunday evening.
After multiple meetings between his representatives and the Blaugrana leaders, Ousmane Dembélé agreed to revise his claims downwards, even if a bonus system could allow him to benefit from a salary barely lower than the previous estimate, according to Spanish sources. , to €10 million net.
This attitude had then aroused the wrath of the Catalan leaders, who had not hesitated to put him on the transfer market at the time, then to leave him, for a time, in the stands.
Coach Xavi had, however, convinced his hierarchy to reinstate Dembélé so that Barça, in bad shape in La Liga, finished in the top 4 and qualified for the next Champions League.
Successful operation since the Catalans finished 2nd behind Real Madrid.
For his part, Dembélé had a brilliant end to the season by delivering 11 assists (plus a goal) in 15 La Liga games.
Courted for a time by PSG, he saw the doors of the capital close with the arrival of Luis Campos, the new strongman of the Parisian sports sector.
The latter did not check his name among the potential recruits.
The Chelsea of Thomas Tuchel, his former coach in Dortmund, did not want to position himself further.
Without a way out, Dembélé, 25, and his representatives therefore resolved to accept the offer from FC Barcelona.