Barcelona attacker, Ousmane Dembele, is on the verge of joining Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth €50million this summer, according to a report by ESPN.
The 26-year-old has already agreed to a five-year contract with PSG, and the Ligue 1 champions are ready to trigger the release clause, worth €50 million in his Barcelona contract to secure his services in the ongoing transfer window.
If the transfer goes through, Ousmane Dembele will leave Barcelona with both parties having a feeling of unfulfillment. Incidentally, the French international joined the Blaugrana in August 2017 to replace a PSG-bound Neymar. So he had big boots to fill when he moved to Barcelona half a dozen years ago.
But injuries and attitude issues have plagued Dembele for much of his stint with Barcelona. And it was not until Xavi Hernandez’s arrival that he finally started making his mark consistently. The 26-year-old also enjoyed a solid 2022/23 season, chipping in with eight goals and nine assists in 35 appearances.
While fitness issues surfaced again, Dembele’s position as an undisputed first-choice option for Xavi was clear. But the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has entered the final year of his contract with Barcelona. So the Catalan giants have been keen on finalising a new deal with the player.
The Ligue 1 champions hold a long-standing interest in the 26-year-old. And they have previously attempted to secure Dembele’s services, albeit unsuccessfully. But with Kylian Mbappe’s future being non-existent, it behoves PSG to scour the market for a long-term replacement. And the Barcelona attacker has featured prominently on their radar.
Reports in May suggested that Dembele was not interested in joining PSG. And considering he was advancing talks with Barcelona over a new contract, a summer exit did not seem to be on the cards. But the French international is now on the verge of joining PSG in a deal worth €50 million. The Ligue 1 champions are ready to trigger to release clause in his contract this week.
Interestingly, the release clause would have increased from €50 million to €100 million in August. Meanwhile, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has already agreed to a five-year contract offered by PSG. So Les Parisiens are confident of securing the services of the 26-year-old, even though a few details remain before the agreement closes. And it will be interesting to see if Barcelona can turn his head.
