Paris Saint-Germain secure Ousmane Dembele signing from Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain secure Ousmane Dembele signing from Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain have finalized the acquisition of winger Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona, as confirmed by the French club on Saturday.

The initial strategy of PSG was to settle the ‚¬50 million ($54.9m) stipulated in the player's buyout clause, which expired at the close of July. However, Dembele dismissed this proposal and encouraged both clubs to engage in negotiations aimed at appeasing all stakeholders.

Nevertheless, the ultimate sum is projected to hover around ‚¬50 million.

"I'm thrilled to be becoming a part of Paris Saint-Germain and eagerly anticipate gracing the field for my new team," conveyed Dembele via the club's official website. "I aspire to thrive here and bring pride to all the supporters of the club."

For a long time, the Ligue 1 champions had held an interest in Dembele, and Barcelona's coach Xavi Hernandez had shown keenness to retain the winger. Yet, the substantial transfer fee was conceded to alleviate the financial predicaments of the club.

Dembele arrived at the Catalan giants in 2017 in a transaction amounting to ‚¬105 million from Borussia Dortmund. However, he encountered difficulties in achieving the impact he had anticipated, amassing 40 goals in 185 appearances.

The past summer witnessed Dembele's almost-departure from Camp Nou as a free agent. Eventually, an accord was reached for his contract extension until 2024.

Barcelona now have Raphinha and Ferran Torres poised to fill the void left by Dembele.

La Liga's official website has already documented that Ferran will inherit Dembele's number 7, while Raphinha will relinquish the #22 he wore during his initial season at Camp Nou, adopting the number 11 that was occupied by Torres until yesterday.

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