Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has branded as ‘fake news’ reports that Ousmane Dembele’s injury means Barcelona will pay the German club 10 million euros less in bonuses.

Dembele

Dembele, 20, cost Barcelona 105 million euros ($125 million), and up to a further 42m in bonuses, when he left Dortmund last month after signing a five-year contract with the Spanish giants.

However, the French international winger is expected to miss three and a half months after tearing a thigh muscle which saw him go under the knife on Tuesday.

Spanish sports daily Marca claim Dortmund can write off at least a quarter of the expected bonus due to Dembele’s injury, but Watzke dismissed the report.

“There is no clause like that,” Watzke told t-online.de.

Marca say Barcelona would have to pay Dortmund 10 million euros if the Frenchman plays 50 games this season, a figure he can no longer achieve given his injury.

“That is fake news,” insisted Watzke.

“There is a bonus for a certain number of games.

“On one hand, the number of games given is wrong, on the other hand it counts only over the whole length of his contract over five years.

“Therefore, we don’t have to forego a single Euro.”