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Official: Barça sign Dembélé for the second time

There are no recent precedents. Nor old ones. There are no precedents for a player who is signed twice by Barça. And without another club in the middle in this traffic even less so. But Ousmane Dembele it is unique in everything.

In his football, as promising as it is disconcerting, as in his attitude, both off the field and in the negotiations and its outcome. Barça have re-signed the French striker for two more years. And before announcing it was already in the locker room of the sports city.

Even his staging turned out to be really Dembelian. Because? The player went to the sports city of Sant Joan Despí on Tuesday afternoon. And his image was leaked, already inside the locker room, without the club having reported on the agreement with the striker, thanks to an Instagram ‘story’ made by Aubameyangone of his best friends on the staff.

In these images it is seen Dembele’s chatting quietly with Umtitihis compatriot, and Kessie, one of Barça’s new signings. In fact, the French striker behaved as if he were one more, sharing the routine prior to the start of the evening session, prepared as he was to step on the grass of the field Tito Vilanova, where the president also attended, Joan Laporta.

From 105 million euros to 0

He arrived in Barcelona on Sunday in a private flight, took the opportunity on Monday to finalize talks with the club, which did not reveal at the outset whether this Tuesday he had passed (or not) the medical tests prior to signing the contract.

Barça signed him five years ago, then chosen as his replacement Neymar, who had just left (summer 2017) for Paris SG, which executed its termination clause set at 222 million euros. Barça invested 105 million plus 40 in variables per Dembele’s. Now, in the summer of 2022, it has come out much cheaper.

Not a single euro has had to pay the directive of Joan Laporta in an operation surrounded by much controversy because the executive structure of the club, led by Mateu Alemanyfootball director, opened the door to the player last winter.

Xavi, club coach, left him in the stands for two games. But then he reintegrated him into the group to take advantage of his offensive potential symbolized in his assists (he made 13, who made the most in the League), even though he was burdened by his obvious lack of aim. Only two goals (one in the Cup against Linares and another in the League against Athletic).

Dembélé did not want to leave then, clinging to the sport complicity with Xavi and appealing to his desire to exhaust the final six months of his contract to be the sole and exclusive owner of his future, convinced as he was, and of course his agent Moussa Sissokothat the market would receive him with open arms.

But the market also gave them a unique lesson. Unique because it is strange that no major European club (City, Bayern, Paris SG, United, Chelsea …) was willing to sign him despite being free, so everything was in the hands of Barça.

No destination outside the Camp Nou

No one went crazy for it Dembele’s. And even less did anyone want to pay the high commissions claimed by Sissoko. After months of responding silently to Barça, they both discovered that they had no new destination beyond the Camp Nou.

They were lucky, however, that Xavi had not given up his confidence in the striker’s chances. The club changed the terms of the offer it had made to him last December. An offer that both Dembélé and Sissoko ignored.

Seven months later, Barça announced the agreement with the striker. He signed for only two years, which reveals that the trust with the club is not as absolute as with the coach.

Salary reduction

He signed until 2024 and with a salary reduction of up to 40%, according to sources from the Barça board, complemented by variables that would raise his payroll depending on the matches played. At the level of Ansu Fati.

Xavi he goes out with his. And also for the second time. In the winter he rescued Dembele’s from the stands to give ownership to the attack. He is now out of work because his contract expired on June 30 and he has been exposed to a risk by not having his continuity guaranteed. He wanted to go to the market and the market returned him to Barça.

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