The Costly Clause In Ousmane Dembele’s FC Barcelona Contract

Ousmane Dembele’s potential last game for FC Barcelona could cost the club more money, according to some reports.

Joining from Borussia Dortmund for a €105mn ($111mn), there have been claims that this could exceed €150mn ($158.6mn) in variables or may have already done.

One additional rumor that has spread is that Barca must hand over more money to the Germans if Dembele makes over 150 appearances.

Given that the Frenchman has made just 149 over five injury-ridden years, him featuring for Xavi Hernandez on Sunday against Champions League semi-finalists Villarreal could end up costing the Blaugrana more money.

Usually this wouldn’t be too problematic depending on how much the unquoted fee is meant to be, but given that Dembele’s contract expires on June 30 and the club are not optimistic about him renewing, it would be an extra slap in the face for the debt-laden club to have to part with more cash for a player who has only really started performing in 2022 and could now move free of charge to another European rival.

This naturally leads to suggestions that Xavi should keep him on the bench and deny Dembele a farewell to fans in his last dance at Camp Nou, after having won them round with a litany of assists in this calendar year after previously being booed for playing hardball in renewal negotiations.

Yet according to SPORT on Friday, the clause doesn’t exist in any case meaning all parties concerned can carry on regardless before returning to the bargaining table.

As ever, it appears to be the player’s agent Moussa Sissoko who is getting in the way of the club and their charge, by demanding high renewal bonuses far from Barca’s economic reality despite Dembele allegedly being willing to take a pay cut and expressing a desire to stick around and see how Xavi’s promising project plays out.

Needing a Plan B, Barca are already preparing for life without Dembele which is led by Leeds United winger Raphinha.

Furthermore, say Mundo Deportivo, the Catalans are already planning to form a mightily-impressive-looking attacking trident consisting of the Brazil international, Robert Lewandowski and Ansu Fati from right to left.