Official: Ousmane Dembele signs a two-year renewal with Barcelona

Not long after activating the first economic lever in the form of the sale of 10% of their La Liga TV rights, Barcelona have begun with the serious business in the summer transfer window.

Speaking of serious business, Barça have announced the renewal of Ousmane Dembele, which puts an end to one of the most long-drawn renewal sagas in football ever. The Frenchman pens a two-year deal, which keeps him at the Camp Nou until 2024.

Dembele was signed in 2017 as part of a €130 million deal (including variables) and remains one of the costliest footballers in history. He has, however, failed to live up to the price tag. That is, up until Xavi arrived at the helm.

The 25-year-old winger saw new light under the Spanish manager, registering a mind-boggling 13 assists in 21 games. His performance during the second half of the season came on the back of Xavi’s decision to not let him rot in the stands after he refused to extend with Barça.

If reports are to be believed, Dembele has taken a 40% pay cut to renew. His salary consists of a low base wage, but with several performance-related add-ons. Still, that is a huge leap down from what he wanted.