PSG close-in on Ousmane Dembele

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Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele is set for a surprise exit from the club after the French international made it clear he wants to join Paris Saint-Germain.

Negotiations began while Dembele’s contract had a 50-million-euro release clause, with PSG hoping to conclude a deal before its expiry on the 1st of August. This attempt has been unsuccessful, with a new clause worth 100 million euros coming into effect from the beginning of the month.

It is believed Barca will demand that the new clause be met for any transfer to take place while PSG are hoping a reduced fee can be agreed.

Dembele’s time in Catalonia can be described as underwhelming. A 135-million-euro transfer from Borussia Dortmund for arguably the most exciting talent in world football in 2017 has been a failure in the eyes of the Barcelona faithful.

If there was a one word to summarise the winger’s Barcelona career, it would be “unavailable”. Since his arrival in August of 2017, Dembele has made 185 appearances for the club, during that same period he has missed 119 through injury. In total he has been unavailable for selection for 784 days or two years and 54 days. The ideal replacement for the Paris bound Neymar Jr needed replacing for most of his stay in Spain.

Ousmane Dembele’s quality cannot be denied. During his time in France for Rennes, and in Germany for Dortmund, he was genuinely sensational. His ability to beat any player in front of him with trickery or pace, combined with his finishing and creative potential, justified his 135-million-euro price tag. Barcelona were happy to make him one of the most expensive players in the history of the game at just 20 years old.

During Xavi’s time as coach, Dembele once again looked comfortable and threatening on the pitch, he was backed by his manager, and he had the fans on his side. There was hope that the player that dominated the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 would return, unfortunately this dream will not become reality.

Paris Saint-Germain are offering the 26-year-old a bigger financial package, one that Barca are not capable of matching, but all is not well in Paris either. Luis Enrique has recently taken the reigns where a Lionel Messi exit and Kylian Mbappe standoff has the club in turmoil.  The final attacker of their frontline, the player Ousmane Dembele replaced at Barcelona, Neymar Jr, also has an uncertain future.  There is the potential that Dembele joins PSG with the idea of completing a Neymar-Mbappe frontline only to become Paris’s only senior attacker on the books by the end of the window.

When the deal between Barca and Paris is completed, PSG will be signing a quality winger.  When Dembele is fit he is an extraordinary talent, a player that is electric with the ball at their feet capable of producing magic.  He will score and create goals for his teammates.  The only asterisk is whether we see the Dortmund Dembele that was always on the pitch or the Barca Dembele that was injured for 119 matches.

Photo: twitter @PSG_Report

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Dylan Johnson