Ousmane Dembele will sign new Barcelona contract - Laporta
James Shearman
- 13 Jul 2022 12:55 BST
- 3 min read
Ousmane Dembele is set to sign a new contract at Barcelona, according to president Joan Laporta.
Dembele has been a free agent since the expiry of his Barca contract at the end of last month, but he is now ready to continue his career at the Camp Nou.
The club have been eager to keep him, and have been in negotiations with his camp for several months, but they had previously failed to reach an agreement over an extension.
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Xavi is known to be a fan of the player, and the Frenchman’s performances clearly improved since the former midfielder returned as head coach last season.
Dembele to sign new Barcelona contract
Dembele is set to sign a two-year extension to continue his career at the club, something that will be met with positivity from the Barcelona faithful.
The 25-year-old ended the last season with the most assists in the league, and his creativity and improvement has been much appreciated over the last six months.
It’s been a change in tone surrounding his signing, having spent much of his time at the club away from the pitch due to injury - the last few months have been more refreshing.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirms Ousmane Dembélé new deal set to be announced: “Yes, this week we’ll sign and present Raphinha and Ousmane Dembélé”. 🚨 #FCB
Dembélé will sign until June 2024, Raphinha joins until June 2027. pic.twitter.com/Rn4IO6Uhyb
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 13, 2022
Over the last few weeks, several clubs across Europe were paying attention to the situation, including Chelsea, who are led by Thomas Tuchel - a fan of the player from their days together at Borussia Dortmund.
Additionally, Paris Saint-Germain were also monitoring the situation, while Bayern Munich were also keeping an eye, but no club made a firm move, opening the door for Barcelona to continue talks.
There had been doubts as to whether the club could keep hold of Dembele after the arrival of Raphinha from Leeds, but it appears they have somehow found a way to make it work.
Dembele was always leaning towards staying at the Camp Nou, even if it meant he was on lower wages, and he will now get his wish.
The contract extension will be made official soon– a welcome boost ahead of the new season – and one they needed in the transfer window following a difficult few years for the club in terms of financial issues.
Read more about: UEFA Champions League, La Liga, Barcelona, Chelsea, Leeds United, PSG, Ousmane Dembélé, Raphinha
