Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has officially announced the signing of French international Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona. The transfer fee for Dembele, who had a release clause of €50 million (£42 million) in his contract, was paid by PSG to Barcelona. Dembele has signed a five-year contract with PSG and will wear the No. 23 shirt.
Dembele expressed his excitement about joining PSG, stating, “I’m delighted to be joining Paris Saint-Germain and can’t wait to play for my new club. I hope I can continue to grow here and make all the club’s fans proud.” The announcement was accompanied by a tweet from PSG’s official Twitter account, using the hashtag #WelcomeDembélé.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of PSG, also expressed his delight at the signing, saying, “We are delighted to welcome Ousmane Dembele to Paris Saint-Germain where he will be an important and committed player for our club. The passion and determination shown by Ousmane as he has signed for PSG is fantastic and perfectly corresponds to the attitude required of all of our players. We are proud to be able to bring another French World Cup winner to Paris Saint-Germain as we enter a new great era for our club.”
Dembele, who was signed by Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund for a joint club-record fee of €135 million in August 2017, had reached a new agreement with Barcelona last summer. The agreement included a clause that allowed him to leave for €50 million if a club offered that amount before July 31, 2023. The Athletic has reported that this clause was actually a “contract of transfer obligation” between Barcelona and Dembele, with Barca receiving half of the €50 million and Dembele receiving the other half.
Barcelona had previously offered Dembele a contract extension until 2027, but the player decided to join PSG instead. Xavi, the Barcelona manager, had praised Dembele’s abilities, calling him a “difference-maker” and stating that he has the potential to be the best player in the world at his position.
Dembele’s departure will give Barcelona more flexibility in the transfer market, although they still have limited room to maneuver. According to La Liga rules, Barcelona will only be able to reinvest 35% of the transfer fee they received for Dembele on new signings. They will also be limited to spending 60% of what Dembele was earning on the salaries of new players.
Overall, the signing of Ousmane Dembele by PSG is a significant move for both clubs. PSG adds a talented and highly sought-after player to their squad, while Barcelona gains financial flexibility to make new signings. It will be interesting to see how Dembele performs in his new club and how Barcelona utilizes the funds from his transfer.