PSG's decision to trigger Dembele's EUR50million exit clause has left Barca reeling. Sources close to the player believe he will leave at a discounted fee and feel they must sell.
Barca are growing anxious and believe their star player believes he may move to Paris within days - yet why?
1. He wants to be closer to his family
After Kylian Mbappe declined the opportunity to extend his contract beyond 2024 and decided instead to join Real Madrid, Dembele has become one of the central figures in an epic trans-Atlantic transfer saga that could see him switch clubs - Camp Nou for Paris Saint-Germain is among their targets as they look for replacement for Mbappe; according to Marca sources close to Dembele they presented him with a proposal of increasing his annual salary by EUR6 Million pretax while adding numerous add-ons in his contract agreement.
Problematically, Barca have already agreed to sell him at this fee and would be bound by their agreement should he sign for them - something which might make senior club sources disgruntled, but remains true nonetheless.
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2. He wants to play in the Champions League
MARCA reports that Barcelona have included a release clause in Dembele's contract; however, they intend to contest it and receive half of any transfer fee paid by PSG for his transfer - potentially leading to only EUR50million being due from Paris St-Germain for their French winger.
Dembele may have cost Barcelona too much when they signed him from Dortmund in 2017, but since then he has found form, scoring 40 goals in 185 appearances while contributing 13 assists - the highest total among Europe's five "Big Five" leagues this season.
Dembele wants to continue his development as a player and is said to be interested in joining a club which will enable him to compete in the Champions League. While this may cause displeasure among Blaugrana supporters, as some could see this move as lack of loyalty or commitment, but in terms of football it would likely benefit both party.
3. He wants to play for a top club
Ousmane Dembele has made no secret of his ambition to play for one of Europe's elite clubs; Manchester United being his inspiration. Additionally, he wishes to make an impactful difference wherever he may find himself playing.
Senior club sources have reported that Messi informed Barca on Sunday of his desire to leave for PSG, telling director Mateu Alemany he felt as though Barca only wanted him to extend his contract in order to sell him later.
At that point, Barcelona decided to postpone their flight from Dallas to Las Vegas today (scheduled for 8pm local time/11pm Spanish time) so they could observe how the situation with their player unfolds. They have apparently been given official authority from PSG to negotiate an acceptable deal that makes sense for all parties; and believe they could obtain more than EUR50million for French winger Thomas Meunier.
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4. He wants to help Kylian Mbappe
There have been reports that Barcelona offered Dembele and Gavi to PSG in exchange for Mbappe, though such speculation seems unlikely. Still, Barca officials believe his arrival will allow them to keep young Frenchman Loic Remy under contract; who has apparently been informed he will have more playing time at Camp Nou next season.
Xavi has spoken out against Dembele's departure, which will undoubtedly hurt both club and fans alike. But it seems unlikely Xavi could have persuaded Dembele to remain given his past performance against Nou Camp crowd booing and difficulty finding regular game time.
Dembele may have activated his release clause in order to help PSG fill the void created by Neymar's world record move to Paris from France's capital. According to MARCA reports, Dembele has requested being moved closer to the centre of the park so he can provide greater assistance, and has also requested receiving higher salary than what Barca could offer him.
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