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BARCELONA: French worldwide winger Ousmane Dembele, whose contract with Barcelona expired final month, ended six months of hypothesis by agreeing to ‘rejoin’ the Catalan aspect, the membership introduced on Thursday.
“Staying at Barca was at all times my first alternative,” Dembele stated on the pitch at Barcelona’s coaching floor as he signed his two-year contract extension till June 2024.
The signing brings an finish to a six-month cleaning soap opera about the place the 25-year-old can be enjoying his soccer subsequent season.
“It has been a very long time coming, however now everyone seems to be comfortable,” stated Dembele. “I am very comfortable, Barcelona has been my dream membership since I used to be a toddler. I am unable to anticipate the season to start out so I may give it my all.”
Dembele joined Barcelona in 2017 from Borussia Dortmund, however suffered a string of significant hamstring accidents.
“The primary three years weren’t straightforward with accidents, however now I really feel good with the group and town and I’ve the arrogance of everybody,” he stated.
Regardless that he scored just one league objective final season, the Catalans had been eager to maintain a participant who appeared revitalised following the appointment of Xavi Hernandez as coach, however talks appeared to interrupt down.
In January, Xavi warned Dembele that he needed to “lengthen” his contract or “depart” the membership however the French World Cup winner warned he wouldn’t “give in to blackmail”.
Final month, Sports activities day by day Marca described the negotiations as a “dialogue between the deaf”.
Paris Saint-Germain had been strongly linked with a transfer to carry the previous Rennes star again to France.
In response to the press, Dembele agreed to decrease his wage expectations to slot in with a membership that is still in financial difficulties.
Barca, in the meantime, had been in a position to transfer nearer to his wage calls for because of the 207.5 million euro ($207.5 million) sale of 10 per cent of its audio-visual rights to the American firm Sixth Avenue. The membership is, furthermore, about to promote one other 15 per cent for 330 million euros.
With the arrivals of Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen and Raphinha, the decision of the Dembele affair marks the fourth good catch for the Catalans this summer time.
“My dream is to win the Champions League this 12 months,” stated Dembele. “I’ll work onerous on the pitch and hopefully will probably be an excellent 12 months for me and for Barca.” — AFP
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