FC Barcelona have been concerned with the dilemma surrounding the possible departure of French winger Ousmane Dembele since a couple of weeks now due to various reports coming out highlighting the interest from PSG.
Now, it seems that following a prior report from the ever-reliable Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano close to confirming the departure of the Frenchman, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez himself has officially confirmed it.
Speaking after the 1-0 victory against Italian Serie A outfit AC Milan in their final pre-season game of the tour of the United States of America, Xavi stated clearly that Dembele himself had requested to leave and how feelings were inside the team, as per the recollection by Mundo Deportivo:
“I’ll be clear, Dembele asked to leave. He told us he has an offer from PSG, they contacted him directly. It’s a personal decision, and we can’t do anything about it.”
The manager also stated that he is in fact disappointed with the current proceedings but knows that Barcelona must reinvest and reinforce, officially stating that the priority for the club is to bring in a new right back in order to improve the side, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo.
“We need a natural right-back, although Araujo, Kounde, and Sergi Roberto can adapt.”
The words of the manager rebound off the recent speculation that suggested that a right-back was indeed the priority for FC Barcelona and they currently have two main options on the table as per Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.
First and foremost comes the priority of Barcelona to bring in Manchester City right-back Joao Cancelo to reinforce the team’s back line as well as integrate a player of proven class and quality at the biggest stages in European football.
His signing remains the priority but it is expected to be a difficult operation given the funding and expenses it requires that Barcelona will have to generate and allocate accordingly.
The other option on the table is 18-year-old Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda, who Barcelona are reportedly quite advanced with in terms of negotiations with both player and club.
It remains to be seen who the final chosen recruit for Barcelona ends up being, but it is now certain that Ousmane Dembele will indeed be leaving FC Barcelona after 6 years with the Catalan club.
