There’s a new transfer saga brewing as the next few hours will be interesting to see whether Ousmane Dembélé remains with FC Barcelona. The French forward’s contract with Barcelona includes a release clause set at €50 million until July 31.
While there’s plenty of speculation regarding the 26-year-old’s future, Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto isn’t expecting his teammate to leave by Monday. Roberto notes that there is no reason for Dembélé to leave.
“I don’t see Dembélé leaving Barcelona,” Roberto told reporters (h/t Barca Universal). “He’s our most decisive player because of his way of playing. He’s key on the pitch for us and he’s very loved in the dressing room.”
Along with Roberto, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez weighed in on the rumors after their 3-0 friendly win on Saturday at AT&T Stadium.
“We will see in the transfer window; you never know,” Xavi told reporters. “I see Ousmane happy at Barça… then if there’s something, he’ll tell us. For now, he’s here and he’s happy.”
PSG had their initial bid of €30 million rejected by Olympique Lyonnais for Bradley Barcola. This revelation reportedly drove PSG’s push to activate the Barcelona star’s release clause.
The deal structure for Dembélé’s potential transfer is equally intriguing. If PSG successfully triggers the release clause, the player would be entitled to 50 percent of the fee, amounting to €25 million. The remaining 50 percent, also €25 million, would be paid to Barcelona.
