Barcelona open to negotiating with PSG over Ousmane Dembélé

Despite the financial issues facing Barcelona, they have a squad that many European teams would be envious of. With all that depth comes an inability to keep everyone content, or at least an inability to provide the game time needed for player development. The right forward position is the perfect example, and now according to one report, Barca would be willing to negotiate with PSG over the transfer of Ousmane Dembélé.

The French winger was one of Barca’s best players last year as the Catalan giants finished atop the La Liga pyramid, but despite productive talks on a contract renewal, one has yet to be agreed. This means that as things stand today, Dembélé is a free agent this time next year.

Barcelona certainly can’t afford to lose the talented forward for nothing, and a report in SPORT this morning has indicated that they may be willing to listen to PSG and negotiate below the release clause.

It was revealed last month that although Dembélé’s release clause is set at €100 million, there was a stipulation that allowed him to buy himself out of the contract for €50 million during the months of June and July. With just 3 and a half days remaining in July, chances are that the €50 million clause is not being activated. From the 1st of August, the clause returns to the €100 million mark.

Barcelona willing to negotiate with PSG

Barcelona is well aware that they’re not getting €100 million for a 26-year-old midfielder in the last year of his contract, so they would be open to negotiating a fee which would offer the club an injection of cash to enable them to solidify their midfield and right back position.

Xavi likes Dembélé and the French international scored 5 goals while registering 7 assists in 25 matches in La Liga last year, but the key point there is the 25 games.

In 2021-22 he scored just 1 goal but registered 13 assists in 21 games. Dembélé struggles to stay healthy and it’s more a case of when he gets injured rather than if, that unreliability could be a factor in any decision.

His availability is unknown, and Barca’s willingness to negotiate is likely based on the eventuality that no extension can be reached.

The report also seems to indicate that the PSG interest may be based on Kylian Mbappé leaving Paris, likely for Real Madrid…although that doesn’t seem likely this summer.

This isn’t the first time that Dembélé has been linked with a move to PSG.

With Ferran Torres confirming that he’s set to stay at Barca, Ansu Fati wanting to fight for his place and the emergence of 21-year-old Abde Ezzalzouli, the loss of Dembélé could be mitigated.