Journalist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that all pending bonus payments tied to Ousmane Dembélé’s transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona have now been fully settled. The total sum paid to Dortmund has now reached an astounding €148 million.

Dembélé was signed by Barcelona in the summer of 2017, when the French winger was just 20 years old. The initial transfer fee was €105 million, with an additional €40 million in potential bonuses. This deal was primarily financed by the €222 million Barcelona received from Paris Saint-Germain following Neymar's buyout clause activation.

For years, Dembélé’s transfer was widely regarded as one of Barcelona’s most disappointing investments due to his frequent injuries and inconsistent form. However, that label eventually shifted to Philippe Coutinho, who cost the club even more but contributed even less on the field.

Terms of Dembele's Transfer Fee

Barcelona's hefty expenditure on Dembele was largely influenced by Neymar's departure. With knowledge of Barcelona’s newfound financial power, Dortmund significantly increased their asking price. Initially, Barcelona hesitated to pay €90 million for Dembele, but after Neymar’s exit, they reluctantly agreed to a €105 million fee, along with various performance-related bonuses.

Some of these bonuses were relatively easy to trigger. For example, Barcelona paid an additional €5 million each time they qualified for the Champions League, which happened twice during Dembele's tenure.

Moreover, Dortmund was entitled to €5 million for every 25 appearances Dembele made, leading to several bonus payouts.

Now, more than a year after Dembele left the club, Barcelona has fully cleared their outstanding debts to Dortmund, finally bringing an end to this costly transfer saga.