Barcelona planning new contract for 25-year-old attacker – Fabrizio Romano

Barcelona wrapped up a fair few transfers in the summer, bringing in the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, among others. They also managed to rid themselves of the ‘deadwood’ in the team to a large extent.

However, none of the deals occupied nearly as much of transfer window as Ousmane Dembele’s contract renewal. The Frenchman was reportedly not ready to pen a new deal with Barcelona on the advice of his agent, and only settled for a two-year contract – that too, after his initial agreement had officially ended.

No more than four months into the renewal, though, Barcelona are planning to open talks with the Frenchman over an extension, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.

Dembele’s contract was built in such a way that his release clause was pulled down to €100 million for the summer of 2022, and would further drop to €50 million next summer.

Barcelona would want to hand him an extension before that happens, and are already satisfied with his performances half-way into the season.

Joan Laporta has already hinted at a possible new deal for Dembele, saying, “Ousmane is happy and motivated. There will be a time to talk about renewals.”

In any case, neither party is expected to enter formal discussions anytime before the World Cup ends. Dembele’s performances through the tournament could heavily influence his new contract.