Ousmane Dembele’s proposed move to Paris Saint-Germain is currently on hold due to an administrative setback, which could force the winger to be called back to training by his current employers FC Barcelona according to SPORT.
Dembele was expected to complete the switch to the Ligue 1 giants this week for a fee of €50 million ($50 million).
Barca, who signed him from Borussia Dortmund for €135 million ($149 million) in 2017 with the money earned from PSG after the Qatari-owned club triggered Neymar’s €222 million ($245 million) release clause, believed they would receive double that amount for the 26-year-old.
This was because Dembele’s release clause increased to €100 million ($110 million) from €50 million on August 1.
As PSG informed Barca in writing of their intentions to sign Dembele last Saturday, however, before the July 31 deadline, this activated a ‘private clause’ for the original quoted fee according to Fabrizio Romano.
Dembele traveled to the French capital on Friday where it was expected he would pass his medical and sign a five-year contract which will pay him a reported €20 million ($22 million) a season.
As the PSG legal department is still waiting for the necessary documentation that will allow them to get the wheels in motion and make the World Cup winner a PSG player, however, neither of these things happened.
This has put everything on hold at the Parc des Princes, and there is still no date scheduled for Dembele’s official presentation.
‘The Mosquito’ is logically forbidden from linking up with Luis Enrique and his PSG squad until this issue has been ironed out, and with Dembele still on their books at present, Barca might call the forward to train with them on Monday according to SPORT.
A decision on the matter will be made by the close of Saturday, and Dembele, who has always had a good relationship with Luis Enrique’s counterpart Xavi Hernandez, is clear that he will travel from Paris to the Ciutat Esportiva if ordered to do so.
Despite the manner in which he is leaving, which some Barca fans and pundits have described as traitorous, Dembele appears keen not to depart on bad terms.
That being said, he and his agent Moussa Sissoko seem prepared to battle cash-strapped Barca for their half of the €50 million as agreed when Dembele renewed his contract until June 30,2024 in 2022.
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