2023-08-01 00:55:07
[OSEN=고성환 기자] Ousmane Dembele (26, FC Barcelona) has decided to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). It is a new face that can become a direct competitor to Lee Kang-in (22, PSG).
‘The Athletic’ reported on the 1st (Korean time), “Dembele will continue touring the US with Barcelona for now. However, he has made up his mind to transfer to PSG.”
PSG is thinking of invoking the buyout clause of Dembele, which amounts to 50 million euros (approximately 70.5 billion won). However, from August 1 local time, the buyout amount will increase to 100 million euros (approximately 140.9 billion won), so an agreement between the clubs is required.
It is impossible to conclude the deal within July, but PSG are optimistic. The Athletic said: “PSG cannot complete the €50 million payment until August. However, according to Barcelona sources, the two sides plan to negotiate a new transfer fee. The amount is expected to be in excess of €50 million.”
Barcelona manager Xabi Hernández seems to want Dembele to remain at the team. Dembele recently started and scored the opening goal in a friendly match against Real Madrid. “Dembele is a player who makes a difference,” Xavi said. “He has the potential to become the best in the world in his position. I believe so. Dembele is a key player in our team.”
However, unlike Xavi, Dembele dreams of joining PSG. It is known that he wants to end his Barcelona life on a positive note as the agreement between the clubs ends well.
Dembele wore a Barcelona uniform in 2017 for a transfer fee of 135 million euros (approximately 189.7 billion won). He stirred up the Bundesliga with his overwhelming dribbling ability during his time at Dortmund, so Barcelona’s expectations were huge.
However, even if the body was weak, it was too weak. Dembele has never gone through a season without a major injury in nearly five years. He continued to be plagued by injuries and was absent, and, of course, did not perform properly. He was criticized for being the worst scammer.
Dembele, who was sluggish, succeeded in rebounding in the 2021-2022 season. In the second half, he played the game without injury, repaying coach Xavi Hernandez’s trust, and even winning the La Liga assist title. Even though he only played 21 league games, he flew with a whopping 13 assists.
Dembele became a free agent (FA) ahead of last season, but remained at Barcelona. He signed a two-year contract renewal despite being surrounded by numerous transfer rumors. Dembele struggled in competition with ‘freshman’ Rafinha at the beginning of the 2022-2023 season, but survived in the second half and finished the season with 5 goals and 7 assists in 25 league games.
PSG, who noticed this, selected Dembele as a new right-sided striker. France’s ‘RMC Sport’ said, “Dembele is very close to joining PSG,” and “It is a transfer that has nothing to do with Kylian Mbappe’s future. The ideal scenario drawn by PSG is Mbappe on the left, Dembele on the right, and a new striker. is the picture that is responsible for the forefront.”
If Dembele wears a PSG uniform, there is a possibility that there will be a change in Lee Kang-in’s position. Lee Kang-in took on the role of right winger in a friendly match against Le Havre on the 22nd of last month. If coach Luis Enrique plans to use Kang-in Lee as a side striker, he cannot avoid competing with Dembele.
The football statistics media ‘TransferMarkt’ also put Dembele’s name in place of Lee Kang-in in PSG’s predicted best 11. In the midfield, not Lee Kang-in, but Fabian Ruiz, Manuel Ugarte, and Vitinya were selected. As expected by the media, Lee Kang-in must compete fiercely for the starting lineup.
Of course, Lee Kang-in can play as a central midfielder or left winger, so jumping to conclusions is prohibited. There is a good chance that coach Enrique will use him in various positions according to the team situation.
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