French midfield sensation, Ousmane Dembele has agreed personal terms with PSG as he sets to complete a move to the French Ligue 1 giants from Barcelona.
Regarded as one of the most prolific wingers of his generation with great technical abilities and dribbling skills, Dembele is now set to leave Barcelona after six years at the club.
The highly-rated French forward has a year remaining in his Barcelona contract and was offered a new contract renewal proposal which he turned down.
After rejecting Barcelona’s new contract offer, Dembele’s future at Camp Nou has been a subject of speculation.
Futballnews understands Barcelona wanted to keep Dembele at all cost but may be forced to part ways with the Frenchman this summer instead of losing him on a free transfer next summer.
When asked of Dembele’s Barcelona future, Xavi Hernandez re-echoed the air of uncertainty surrounding the future of the 26-year-old.
Xavi maintained he cannot really predict how Dembele’s transfer situation will unfold but it was pretty obvious Barcelona are still keen on retaining the winger.
Meanwhile, it is understood PSG have been on the trail of Dembele amid uncertainties over his future with the Catalans.
The French Ligue 1 giants were keen on adding Dembele to their attacking arsenal next summer as they brace for the exit of Kylian Mbappe.
While PSG’s interest was potent, Dembele’s decision on the move was yet to be confirmed, further stoking airs of uncertainty on his Barcelona future.
Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, PSG have agreed terms with Dembele with a five-year contract till 2028 but there is a sharp twist to the deal.
Ousmane Dembele has a €50m release clause on his contract with Barcelona which PSG need to trigger to secure his move to the club.
The release clause will expire in a matter of hours and will be doubled to €100m on August 1, 2023.
PSG needs to act fast to seal the deal or end up paying double of his release clause on August 1.
Ousmane Dembele partly played a role in the delay as he withheld his consent but has now given the greenlight for the move to progress.
It is understood PSG have informed Barcelona of the move but will now have to enter into negotiations or trigger the release clause immediately.
Ousmane Dembele’s PSG move may likely twist the outcome of the PSG Vs Kylian Mbappe faceoff, according to reports.
Mbappe had reportedly asked PSG to sign Ousmane Dembele to bolster the club’s attack and add more momentum and efficiency to their press.
Mbappe’s call for Dembele to be signed by PSG did not come as a surprise. Dembele’s move from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona in 2017 was attributed to the influence and pressure of Lionel Messi who asked Barcelona to sign the prolific attacking midfielder as well.
Ousmane Dembele style of play
Ousmane Dembele is regarded as one of the best wingers of his generation. Unlike the likes of Neymar Jr of PSG, Bukayo Saka of Arsenal, Antony of Manchester United, Dembele is known for his versatility. He is one of the rare attacking midfielders who can operate from both wings because he can play and dribble comfortably with his right and left foot.
Dembele’s strength against opponents is his ability to turn on either direction with ease. His next move with the ball is unpredictable as he can deploy both legs effectively.
Apart from his exceptional dribbling skills, Dembele functions well in an attacking football as he has an incredible eye for goal and can be deployed effectively as a striker in an attacking setup.
Another exceptional quality that has separated him from rivals is his shooting skills. He can aim at the goal at a distance and can also perform playmaking roles setting up assists for goals.
Dembele is usually unbeatable when it comes to one-on-one situations. He can easily steal his way pass opponents due to his impeccable technical abilities.
Another sterling quality that has made him an envy of managers and other rivals is his intelligence, agility and speed. He can quickly read the game and make perfect moves and decision couple with a horse-speed sprint pace.
