FC Barcelona have announced the sale of a huge first team player for what can be described as a relative pittance.
An official statement on Saturday morning revealed that Barca and Paris Saint-Germain have “reached an agreement on the transfer of Ousmane Dembele for €50.4 million ($55.2 million)”.
As explained in the correspondence, Dembele arrived at Barca in 2017 from Borussia Dortmund, “where he had been one of the most promising young attacking players in the Bundesliga”.
Using the money obtained when PSG triggered Neymar’s €222 million ($243 million) release clause in the same summer, Barca agreed to pay the German club €105 million ($115 million) plus a reported €40 million ($44 million) in add-ons for the ambidextrous winger.
Dembele made his debut against Barca’s cross-town rivals Espanyol in September 2017, but the fact he suffered a hamstring injury and was ruled out of action for quite some time while having to undergo surgery, during his first start against Getafe, was foreshadowing.
Still Dembele managed to return to action later in 2017/2018, scoring his first goal in Blaugrana in a last 16 Champions League clash with Chelsea.
Because of his injuries, however, he only made 23 appearances in that season and 185 in total across six terms peppered by intermittent knocks and operation table setbacks.
In the most-recently passed 2022/2023 season and the one before it, Dembele looked to have finally found his feet under Xavi Hernandez who helped him become one of Europe’s best widemen racking up goals and assists at will.
But with a poorly-negotiated contract extension struck in 2022 when he had already become a free agent, Dembele has left Xavi disappointed through being lured to PSG with the promise of increased pay.
Furthermore, Dembele and his agent Moussa Sissoko expect to pocket half of the transfer fee, with the split of the purse being disputed by Barca.
The 26-year-old leaves Barca having won three league titles, two Copas del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups.
And while that tally would secure a legacy as a club legend with most outfits, Dembele’s Barca tenure ends with more doubts as to what could’ve been than satisfaction with his achievements.
