Barcelona are still set to lose winger Ousmane Dembele to Paris Saint-Germain, despite his release clause expiring before a deal could be reached.
The 26-year-old agreed personal terms with PSG despite initially confirming that he was happy at the Camp Nou, but the €50m (£43m) clause could not be activated in time before it expired at midnight on July 31st.
However, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that there was a private clause in Dembele’s contract which will facilitate a move, and he will leave for a similar price as previously anticipated. His new official release clause of €100m will not apply, and Barcelona will not negotiate for a higher amount.
The deal is set to be completed this week, in what is a huge blow for Xavi ahead of the new La Liga season, and there are shades of the deal which saw Neymar unexpectedly depart for PSG six years ago.
How big a blow is this for Barcelona?
Dembele initially arrived in 2017 in a deal rising to £132m, as a replacement for Neymar, but it took him a long time to settle at the Camp Nou after a host of injury issues.
He finally started playing to his potential under Xavi, who described him as “indispensable,” and publicly backed the winger whenever he was criticised or struggling for form.
For Dembele to leave now, with Barcelona set to receive just €25m (£21m) of the transfer fee, is a huge blow for the club, who will now lose him as he enters his prime years, after keeping him through his difficult period.
Although a world-class player at his best, Dembele’s injuries stopped him from reaching his true potential at Barcelona, but he still may be missed on the pitch next season, with his strong dribbling ability proving crucial.
Barcelona will need to find a quick solution in order to replace his impact on the pitch, and will have to accept a massive loss on what was one of their largest ever transfer investments.