According to the Spanish press, PSG and Barcelona are now in a battle over Ousmane Dembélé, following previous conflicts over Neymar and Messi.
Mundo Deportivo does not mince words this Monday morning: « Barcelona will wage war against PSG if they pay Dembélé’s release clause. » And PSG is indeed planning to do so. Until midnight on Monday, the French player’s release clause is set at a mere 50 million euros, and he has nearly agreed to move to Paris.
On Saturday, PSG sent a letter to Barcelona requesting permission to negotiate with the forward, but the Barcelona entity responded that Dembélé was « not for sale. » « Laporta and Mateu met with Dembélé on Saturday to emphasize how important he is for the team, and on Sunday, Xavi himself reiterated that he is a fundamental player for him, » assures Mundo Deportivo.
However, Barcelona does not intend to raise the stakes to keep Dembélé, giving PSG a clear path. « In this situation, only Dembélé can prevent his departure. Barcelona is adamant that if PSG eventually pays the release clause, they will go to war with the Parisian club and demand that UEFA investigate whether they are complying with the Financial Fair Play and where they get all their financial resources, » states MD. This marks yet another chapter in the war that has been ongoing since 2017.