Ousmane Dembele didn’t exactly leave FC Barcelona on the best of terms having forced his way to PSG this summer by triggering his release clause.
At the time there were disagreements about how much of the €50 million fee should go to Barcelona and how much should go to Dembele and his agents.
Eventually, an agreement was reached and Dembele’s departure opened the door for Lamine Yamal to break through into the first team, so it ended well for everyone.
However, while he was here he reportedly played a role in preventing Xavi and the Barcelona management group from signing one of his international teammates.
Dembele reportedly spoke out against a French international teammate’s potential signing for FC Barcelona
According to ‘The Barca Reservat podcast ‘(via the Daily Mail), Dembele was asked for his opinion on one of his international teammates.
Barcelona were struggling for RB cover last year and a number of central defenders and central midfielder Sergi Roberto had to fill the void. So when the January transfer window opened, Xavi was keen to sign Benjamin Pavard from Bayern Munich.
Pavard has always been highly regarded and he was part of four Bundesliga Championship sides at Bayern as well as the 2018-19 Champions League winning side. He also won the 2018 World Cup with France and was part of the 2022 runners-up team.
So he was and continues to be a highly decorated footballer.
FC Barcelona were reportedly scared off approaching Bayern to sign Pavard because Ousmane Dembele reportedly stated that Pavard is a player who causes issues in the dressing room.
Pavard stayed at Bayern for the remainder of the season and joined Inter Milan this summer. But he could easily have been playing for Barcelona.
Barca explored a number of options at RB this summer but eventually settled on Joao Cancelo, but that’s a short-term option. Cancelo arrived on loan and with the financial situation as dire as it is at Barcelona, there is no guarantee that they’ll be able to sign him permanently from Manchester City next summer.