Ligue 1 champions, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have confirmed the signing of French winger Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona.
The move came out of nowhere this summer but should have come as little surprise to the Catalans considering the poorly-negotiated terms of his contract extension in 2022.
Dembele’s deal with Barcelona which will expire by June 30, 2024, has a €50.4 million ($55 million) release clause attached to it and this was triggered by PSG to bring the French Star to Paris.
Dembele was lured by the promise of a €20 million ($22 million) a year salary by the Qataris, which Barca cannot afford, on a five-season deal.
Another incentive for Dembele to switch allegiances was the fact that he and his agent Moussa Sissoko could pocket half of the transfer fee.
Confirming the switch to PSG, Dembele who signed a 5-year deal with the club said;
“I’m delighted to be joining Paris Saint-Germain and can’t wait to play for my new club. I hope I can continue to grow here and make all the club’s fans proud.”
PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi added;
“We are delighted to welcome Ousmane Dembele to Paris Saint-Germain where he will be an important and committed player for our club.
“The passion and determination shown by Ousmane as he has signed for PSG is fantastic and perfectly corresponds to the attitude required of all of our players. We are proud to be able to bring another French World Cup winner to Paris Saint-Germain as we enter a new great era for our club.“
Dembele arrived at Barca to replace Neymar in 2017 in a deal worth €105m from Borussia Dortmund, but struggled to make the impact he had hoped, scoring 40 goals in 185 appearances.
The Catalan club have Raphinha and Ferran to cover his potential exit, but Xavi has publicly called for more reinforcements, and Dembele’s departure is expected to shake up Barca’s transfer plans.
