"Dembélé may be the best in the world in his position" is one of Xavi's phrases that still resonate in Barcelona. Every time the Frenchman caressed the ball in the Parc des Princes, the Barcelona coach's head tightened. stomach. Even more than with Mbappé. Luis Enrique, a key figure in the decision that the Frenchman finally made when he changed Barcelona for Paris in the summer, also thinks that Dembélé is one of the best wingers in the world. the most destabilizing” and that “a great future” awaited him in France.
“I have nothing against you. Quite the opposite. But at Barça there are people who don't love me. I sense that they don't want me to continue. “Do I let this opportunity pass in exchange for many uncertainties?” Dembélé told Xavi while he was on the American tour. He was referring, above all, to the former football director Mateu Alemany, who never welcomed having to negotiate with his agent, the always unpredictable Moussa Sissoko. Dembélé did not delay in making his decision. 10 days passed from when he received the Parisian offer, in the middle of his summer tour, until he said 'yes'. An ambitious project emerged in his mind, which he is already carrying out in Paris, where his family lives and also close to the French team. A five-year project until 2028 that, of course, is better paid than the Barcelona player.
It remained to know how the economic pie was divided. It is worth remembering that in the Frenchman's last renewal contract, Barça agreed to include a mandatory transfer clause. If the player notified before July 31 that he had a proposal, he could leave by paying 25 million to be shared with his representative, Moussa Sissoko, of the 50 that Barça will receive. But the sports leadership, led by Alemany, considered that the negotiations opened by his agents with PSG did not comply with the wording of the clause. They also believed they owed Sissoko nothing because he had not worked with the club. For that reason they paid 15 million of the 50 to Dembélé. Currently, sources close to the footballer assure that the contract "was resolved as it was established and signed."
Dembélé knows that in Barcelona they will whistle at him. And, despite being grateful for his culé past, his new life in Paris motivates him. He already demonstrated it at the Parc des Princes when he celebrated his second goal of the season as if the stage were the Champions League final. He is happy in the French capital. His entourage explains that he leads a very family life and that he frequently visits his parents. His relationship with Luis Enrique is fluid, although they recognize that the Asturian is more distant than Xavi. The same sources explain that in the 2016-17 season, Luis Enrique's last at Barcelona, the Asturian was already interested in him when he was at Rennes. However, Dembélé considered that it was still early. He chose Dortmund and Rennes paid 15 million euros.
The second time was the charm. Dembélé, the undisputed starter at PSG and who has barely been to the infirmary - specific discomfort in one thigh, a small strain in the hamstrings, a specific problem in one ear and little else - enjoys the Asturian's interventionism. Winger or midfielder depending on the time, the former Barça player was clearly PSG's best in the first leg. He has participated in 35 games this season, 8 of them in the Champions League, a competition where he has only missed one game and it was due to suspension. “Generally, he has more weight in creating scoring plays than scoring. That's why he has to increase his scoring numbers in Barcelona,” quotes his entourage. For tomorrow's game, Luis Enrique has asked him that he wants him to have the ball for as long as possible. And Xavi, who continues to exchange messages with the Frenchman, is clear that tomorrow the winger will once again have a special weight.
In France, Luis Enrique's secrecy is worrying, extremely jealous of his elevens and tactics. “Asensio knew that he was going to act as a false nine against Barça two hours before the game,” they explain. And they hope that the Asturian in these six days that he has had to prepare for the match, has been more explicit with his pupils. Dembélé is expected on the right wing in an eleven in which Hakimi will return at right back.
