KEY POINTS

  • Dembele joined Barcelona in 2017 for $189 million
  • He has missed over 60 matches due to various injuries since then
  • His new contract is expected to be announced in the coming weeks

Ousmane Dembele is reportedly set to receive a contract extension from FC Barcelona following Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann's Camp Nou departure.

Barcelona have scheduled a meeting with Dembele's agents for September to discuss the terms of a new contract as the Catalans are looking to seal the deal in the coming weeks, according to Catalunya-based radio station RAC1.

Barcelona are believed to have made Dembele's contract one of their top priorities as the player has just one year on his current deal. The Camp Nou side paid around $189 million for Dembele and they do not want to lose the French winger for free. The Catalans will tie down Dembele till 2025 and final discussions regarding the contract will take place soon, reported Spanish publication Marca.

Dembele has been an injury-prone player, having missed over 60 matches since he arrived in Barcelona in 2017, according to injury history on Transfermarkt. In fact, Dembele is yet to make his first appearance for Barcelona in 2021-22 as he is currently out of action because of a knee injury he had sustained while on international duty, and as a result, the Frenchman had missed the Euros 2020. He underwent surgery during the summer break and is expected to be sidelined until October.

Ousmane Dembele (L) of Barcelona competes for the ball with Axel Witsel of Borussia Dortmund
Ousmane Dembele (L) of Barcelona competes for the ball with Axel Witsel of Borussia Dortmund Getty Images | Pablo Morano

Barcelona recently lost Messi and Griezmann due to their financial crisis. Blaugrana failed to register Messi's new deal with La Liga due to the club's high wage bracket which saw their former skipper leave the club for free, joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Meanwhile, to further reduce their wage bill, Barcelona were forced to offload Griezmann, who returned to Atletico Madrid. While the 2018 World Cup winner has joined his former club on loan this summer, it has been reported that his contract includes a clause that would see Atletico sign him permanently at the end of the 2021-22 season for around $47 million.

Messi and Griezmann were Barcelona's top two goal scorers last season, with 38 and 20 goals respectively. After going trophyless in the 2019-20 campaign, Barcelona managed to win Copa del Rey's last campaign while the league title went to Atletico Madrid.

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