"Now yes, Força Barça", said Ousmane Dembélé in the video that the club broadcast on its social networks to announce the end of the series. The French winger today signed his new contract that binds him to the club until 2024 on the pitch of the Tito Vilanova field after meeting in the offices accompanied by president Joan Laporta. An image is worth a thousand words and both parties staged that the war of declarations and the tensions that the negotiation brought with it are now history.
Satisfied, Laporta raised the French winger's arm in triumph and gave him his new membership card. Dembélé smiled non-stop. And on the benches, his agent, Moussa Sissoko, and vice presidents Rafa Yuste and Eduard Romeu were waiting, applauding the signing.
To complete the photo they called the director Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff. Despite the tensions, both have buried the hatchet since they ended up hugging each other happily with the outcome. "I feel very happy about the renewal. Barcelona has been the club of my dreams since I was little, I'm happy and I want the season to start to give everything to Barcelona," Dembélé told the club's official media in excellent Spanish. He has not spoken in public since he arrived in 2017. He confessed to having learned "a little" Catalan.
Both parties have reached an agreement to close his new contract with a salary reduction of 40 percent of the fixed one with respect to his last link, which ended on June 30, so his continuity counts as a new signing. Fulfilling the incentives of the new contract could guarantee you end up receiving an amount close to the previous base salary. "He wanted to make an effort to enter Barça's salary structure. Thanks to everyone who has worked. To him, Mateu Alemany, Jordi Cruyff, his entire team, Sissoko and all the people who have helped get this contract ", said Laporta who confessed to being "thrilled" with the achievement. "Ousmane, Xavi loved you but the club too", he slipped.
The series of the year has gone through several phases. In January, after the meetings between Sissoko and Barça failed to reach any agreement to continue, the director of football, Mateu Alemany, publicly announced that Dembélé had to find a way out. The Frenchman did not find a destination, he missed two games and Xavi intervened to recover him. Despite the fact that it was a difficult month, Dembélé is now a happy footballer and integrated into the squad. "Staying was always my first option. The president and the coach have said it. I know it's been a long time, but we're all happy and I'm looking forward to the start of the season to give everything for Barça," Dembélé said.
On Sunday night he arrived on a flight from Paris loaded with suitcases to stay. On Tuesday afternoon he went to the sports city to train with the group. Some Instagram stories of his friend Aubameyang revealed his presence in the locker room with his neighbors at the box office: Umtiti and Kessie in which his good integration into the group was detected.
His environment assures that his will was always to continue wearing the Barça shirt regardless of the offers that came from PSG, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
Top Blaugrana and League assistant last season with 13 goal assists, Dembélé arrived at Barça in the summer of 2017, at the age of 20 and from Borussia Dortmund, and made his debut with the Barça first team on September 9, in a match League against Espanyol. A round day, since it ended with a resounding victory for Barcelona (5-0) with the contribution of the Frenchman: goal assist.
Despite this first meeting with prominence, Ousmane Dembélé's years at Barça have been marked by unfortunate injuries that have hindered his continuity. In total, in the five seasons so far, he has played 150 games for FC Barcelona. "The first three years were difficult, many injuries and now I feel good with the team, with the city and with the confidence of my teammates, the president and the coach", confessed Ousmane.
The arrival of Xavi gave him stability. "For me he can be the best in the world in his position," Xavi said in November when he came to the bench. In fact, his first request to President Joan Laporta was to renew him. “Aimed is up”, said Laporta, who also said that he believed that Dembélé was better than Mbappé. "I have admiration for Ousmane. Football-wise and as a person. He can go where he wants to go. He has incomparable talent. But you can still give more and this year is very important. You have to win titles," warned President Laporta. "Yes, I want to win titles. The Champions League is my dream and I will give everything to win it next year," replied the French winger.
Veterans like Piqué, Alba or Busquets, as well as youngsters like Pedri, spoke publicly in favor of his renewal and the arrival in January of his friend Aubameyang, with whom he coincided at Dortmund, also added.
Physically Dembélé has also improved. He has put the injuries behind him. Apart from having learned to listen better to his body, she has found in Dr. Ricard Pruna an understanding and efficient ally. Technically, from the sports city it is emphasized that Dembélé has evolved thanks to the videos to familiarize himself with the system and with the game model. Everything adds up and finally Dembélé stays. "Hopefully we'll see the best Dembélé. I'm going to work on the pitch, in the gym, with the coach and I hope it's a great year for Barça," he said.
