After the decision to exclude him: has Paris Saint-Germain settled its stance on extending Dembélé's contract?

Controversy over the decision to rest him

Paris Saint-Germain have made their position clear on renewing the contract of French forward Ousmane Dembélé, according to a report published on Wednesday.

The Ballon d'Or winner's future has shot back into focus over the past few hours after the club opted to rest him against Lille.

That firm call from the Parisian hierarchy followed a stumble in the opening round against Rennes, a 2-2 draw that came after the team had trailed by two goals to nil.

Dembélé had come off at half-time in that match alongside teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and the decision was taken to leave him out of the next fixture entirely to give him a breather. Other reports hinted at something else. They suggested the move was a punishment for a dip in the player's form.

All of this has thrown up fresh questions over his situation, especially with the club having spent several months in talks with his agents over an extension.

The plan is to tack on a year or two, keeping him at Paris Saint-Germain until 2029 or 2030.

In Paris, nobody is losing sleep. Player and club both want the partnership to continue, and the negotiations are moving in the right direction.

Talks will pause briefly during the closing stretch of the summer transfer window, then pick back up once it shuts, according to "RMC Sport".