Ousmane Dembele Leaves Barcelona: Barcelona manager Xavi expresses disappointment over Ousmane Dembele’s decision to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this summer.
The winger has informed the club of his desire to move to Paris, citing that they cannot match PSG’s offer.
Ousmane Dembele Leaves Barcelona
Dembele was absent from Barcelona’s recent pre-season friendly against AC Milan, which the Catalan side won 1-0 with a goal from Ansu Fati.
After the match, Xavi spoke to the media and admitted that Dembele is heading to PSG.
According to BarcaCentre, Xavi said, “Dembélé? He has told us that he wants to leave and that he has a proposal from PSG. He did not play today because he wants to leave.
It’s a pity. I am disappointed with him as we have taken great care of him. We cannot compete with PSG’s offer.”
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that PSG aimed to activate Dembele’s €50 million release clause before it expired on July 31.
Although they couldn’t do so, they managed to trigger a ‘private’ clause with Barcelona, securing Dembele’s move to Paris for the same amount.
Last summer, the 26-year-old faced exit rumors, but Xavi persuaded him to remain at Camp Nou.
However, this summer, PSG’s offer proved too enticing for the player, leading to both parties reaching an agreement on a five-year deal.
Ousmane Dembele Leaves Barcelona: Xavi made desperate plea to convince French star to stay at Barcelona
Media reports suggest that Xavi used Neymar’s example to convince Dembele to stay at Barcelona beyond this summer.
Neymar famously left the Catalan giants for PSG in a €222 million move in 2017, but his time in Paris has been fraught with challenges.
Neymar has faced consistent injury issues and endured criticism from fans, even being booed on occasion.
Despite having the talents of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe alongside him, he has been unable to secure the UEFA Champions League for PSG.
