Ousmane Dembele has left for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), but it seems as though his transfer saga hasn’t been finalized properly at Barcelona. On the contrary, new concerns have surfaced in the wake of Dembele’s return to France, as the Catalans are set to be sued.
On Saturday (August 12), Barcelona issued a statement about the £43.5 million deal, only to then cryptically amend their official statement with a revised communique. This time, it states (via Football Transfers):
“FC Barcelona and the player Ousmane Dembele have severed ties by virtue of the unilateral exercise by the player of a right included in his employment contract. The club, in strict compliance with the agreement, has not negotiated or agreed with third parties the terms of this severance.”
According to Mundo Deportivo (via Football Transfers), the motive behind Barcelona’s sudden rewording of their original statement lies in their plans for financial manoeuvring.
The Catalans are keen to apportion the bulk of the proceeds from PSG to their own coffers, a decision that is set to give Dembele €15m, while they retain the rest.
However, this does not come without some friction as Dembele’s agent Moussa Sissoko has reportedly found himself on the losing end of the deal. The agent and his agency are said to be very displeased and contemplating legal action against the club.
Former Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele finds his way back home as he signs for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
Ousmane Dembele was officially unveiled on Saturday as Paris Saint-Germain’s newest acquisition, ending days of suspense as the capital club finally wrapped up the deal. It was announced with flair on social media, as it’s a big homecoming for the French winger, who once played at Stade Rennais.
The forward revealed the reason for his Camp Nou exit and decision to join the Parisians (via PSGTalk):
“The conversations with the coach. For me, having trust is vital for a footballer. I also spoke with the Sporting Director and the president. I spoke with them and they really explained the project at PSG and I was impressed.
“It’s very exciting and I hope that we are going to achieve great things together. I like the way Luis Enrique wants to play. We know it, we know that he is obsessed with possession, we know he likes to play attacking football and that’s a perfect fit for me.”
Dembele will begin his new chapter with the Ligue 1 giants. Although he won’t be displaying his skills in the home opener against FC Lorient on Saturday at the Parc des Princes, he’s expected to be there, waving to the crowd.
They will hope he can stay healthy and become a vital cog in Paris’ dominating attack. If the former Barcelona star can keep fit and hit a level that he’s flirted with but never consistently reached, then this could be the steal of the season.