Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele’s contract renewal reportedly includes a £43.7m release clause, half of which would be payable to the player and not the club.
The France international became a free agent in the summer after the Catalan giants attempted and failed to persuade him leave in January.
The 25-year-old missed the majority of the first half of the 2021-22 season owing to knee and hamstring injuries, the latest in a long line of physical problems during his time at Camp Nou.
Barcelona wanted to offload Dembele for a bargain price over the winter, but he ended up staying and enjoying a redemption arc in the second part of the season under Xavi.
The attacker only scored two goals all season, but he set up 13 more in 21 La Liga matches – no player in Spain’s top flight had more assists last season.
Ousmane Dembele New Barcelona Contract Release Clause
Dembele eventually agreed to a new contract until 2024 on lower terms, but according to L’Equipe, the contract included a €50m (£43.6m) release clause.
According to the report, Dembele opted to forego a signing bonus with his new contract, and his agents did not collect any compensation for their work on his renewal.
Instead, if the Frenchman’s release clause is activated within the next two years, he and his agents will collect 50% of the fee, leaving Barcelona with only €25m (£21.8m).
Barcelona can meet Dembele’s financial demands without worsening their already precarious financial situation by including a release clause instead of paying a signing-on bonus and commision.
Related: I Have Lost Five Years Of My Life, Ousmane Dembele Says
Dembele has had to contend with Raphinha in Barcelona’s attack this season, but he has remained a regular in Xavi’s starting XI and has put up good numbers.
The former Borussia Dortmund man has two goals and four assists from eight games in all competitions, missing out on the starting lineup once, against Cadiz on October 10.
Dembele has now scored 34 goals and provided 38 assists in 158 games for Barcelona since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, earning two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys, and the Supercopa de Espana.
The attacker’s comeback in 2022 earned him a recall to France’s squad for the Nations League matches in September, and he is set to make his first appearance for Les Bleus in 15 months during the international break.
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