Barcelona boss Xavi has confirmed that Ousmane Dembele will leave the club after Paris Saint-Germain triggered his £43million release clause.
The French champions had until the end of Monday to activate the clause before the price doubled, which they did, and they now have until Sunday to complete the transaction.
Xavi had hoped Dembele would stay at Camp Nou despite PSG’s advances, and he is ‘a little disappointed’ that the Frenchman has decided to depart.
‘I will be very straightforward,’ Xavi remarked to TV3 after a 1-0 friendly win over AC Milan in Las Vegas. Dembele has requested that we leave. He did not play because he received a proposition from PSG.
‘It’s a shame. Dembele has let me down a little. It has a sour taste in my mouth because we have taken excellent care of him here, ensuring that he is happy and content and that he continues to make a difference for us.
‘However, we cannot match a fully out-of-market offer from PSG.’
‘I tried to convince Dembele to stay, but he said he had already spoken to Luis Enrique and [Nasser] Al-Khelaifi and there was no way to convince him,’ he added. Xavi is ‘disappointed’ with Ousmane Dembele as Barcelona manager confirms PSG transfe
‘It’s definitive, and it’s his decision. If a footballer does not want to play for Barcelona, he must be released.’
Team-mate Sergio Roberto was also asked about Dembele’s decision and said: ‘It’s a sad he’s leaving. He’s been here for a long time, and the team adores him.
‘We all told him that, but he has opted to take another decision. We’re disappointed, but we must move forward.’
Barcelona could now bring ahead Vitor Roque’s registration to enhance their offensive options, despite the fact that the Brazilian starlet was initially scheduled to join the club next summer.
Rather than signing a new winger, Xavi wants to reinvest the Dembele cash in a right-back, with centre-back Jules Kounde handed the task for the upcoming season, and they may now reopen talks with Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo.
‘With the departure of Dembele, we need a true right-back now,’ said Xavi, who will almost certainly have to pay more than £35 million to sign Cancelo, despite City’s desire to cash in on a player who spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayern Munich.
