The transfer sage at FC Barcelona concerning French winger Ousmane Dembele was one that was unforeseen and unexpected within the ranks of the Catalan club, and the sudden nature of it has left many puzzled.
Having already agreed personal terms with French Ligue 1 outfit Paris Saint-Germain, it is now widely reported and taken for granted that the player will be making the move to PSG for a fee in the region of €50 million, out of which around only 50% will go to Barcelona.
According to various sources, before the finalizing of his departure, Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez had met with the Frenchman to discuss the reasoning behind his decision to leave.
As per Spanish outlet SPORT, a more detailed quotation from the meeting has been revealed, something that can be stated to be Dembele’s final words to his soon-to-be former coach at FC Barcelona. He stated:
“If it were for you, I would stay, Mister. For you and for the fans, I would stay, but this is not the problem.”
The Frenchman was stating that he was more than happy with the trust that Xavi had given to him, as well as the sporting staff that had worked to improve his physical health. Moreover, he even referred to the fans as being great to him, and were it simply these two factors to consider, he would have stayed at the club without any reluctance.
However, the report states that the primary obstacle that hindered Dembele’s perception of wanting to remain at Barcelona was the consistent doubt and feeling of distrust he felt from the higher-ups at the club.
Previous reports of disapproval from both Mateu Alemany and possibly even Deco regarding Dembele’s continuity could add to this factor of distrust that the Frenchman may be referring to behind his reasoning to join French outfit PSG instead.
As it stands, the 26-year-old has already flown to Paris to finalize the agreement of his transfer and end his six-year stay at FC Barcelona before beginning a new Parisian chapter in his career.
