Ousmane Dembele appears to be staying at Barcelona after all following months of speculation about his future. After his contract expired on the 30th of June, some wondered if there would be any way back for him.
On Monday the French winger was seen flying into Barcelona, which many took as a suggestion that he would be signing a new deal with the Catalans.
Tuesday brought more credence to that idea after Dembele was again spotted, this time in the Barcelona dressing room. Teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang posted a video on his Instagram story, in which Dembele can be seen sat in the dressing room along with his colleagues.
🚨 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's Instagram stories show Ousmane Dembélé in the Barcelona dressing room today.
His new deal is expected to be signed until June 2024.
(📸 ig/Auba) pic.twitter.com/mUx50kZjio
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) July 12, 2022
As pointed out by Edu Polo, this may imply that Dembele has already signed his renewal. If the Frenchman was already training with his colleagues, it would mean the contract was already in place.
Ousmane Dembélé ya puede entrenar con sus compañeros. Eso quiere decir que ya ha firmado, sino no podría entrenar con el equipo. Esperando el anuncio oficial de su 'renovación'
— Edu Polo (@EduPolo) July 12, 2022
There is of course the possibility that he was merely visiting his friends at the training facilities without training, but it certainly would be a fast return to the dressing room if he wasn’t intent on coming back. No doubt this news will be welcomed by Xavi Hernandez, who has been his strongest advocate since his arrival in November.