Paris Saint-Germain are closing in on the signing of Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele after striking a verbal agreement with him.
Reports of PSG’s interest in Dembele surfaced days ago, with the Ligue 1 giants setting their sights on the €50 million release clause in his current deal.
Barca were confident about keeping the Frenchman as they thought they had his approval for a contract renewal.
However, Dembele has performed a big U-turn, giving the green light on a potential move to the French capital.
RMC Sport claimed last night that PSG are advancing in their pursuit of the former Borussia Dortmund star, and the situation has evolved quickly since then.
As per journalist Santi Aouna, Les Parisiens have reached an agreement with Dembele on a five-year deal until 2028.
They are now looking to wrap up the transfer with Barca as quickly as possible since his release clause expires today.
It is unclear whether Dembele is a direct replacement for Kylian Mbappe, whose future is hanging by a thread amid a stand-off with PSG.
The move is a blow to Barca as Xavi considers him integral to his plans.
His departure could force the Catalan giants to reevaluate their objectives in the transfer market and try to sign a new winger.
However, Fabrizio Romano claims that the Blaugrana are planning to reinvest the proceeds from his sale in a right-back, with Joao Cancelo and Ivan Fresneda among the preferred targets.
Dembele’s departure will leave Barca thin on the right wing, with Raphinha the only option. Ferran Torres is an alternative, but he is more suited to a false nine role.
