Dembélé explains why he swapped Barcelona for PSG: It was kind of prescribed

Ousmane Dembélé has struggled since arriving at Barcelona from Dortmund in 2017. But when Xavi came in, he awakened a lot of potential in him and the Frenchman had his best year and a half in Catalonia. However, he decided to leave for PSG in the summer, why was that?

He was rated as one of Barcelona’s worst transfers. The Catalans shelled out an astronomical €140 million for Ousmane Dembélé in 2017. And Dembélé’s response?

Repeatedly reprimanded by the club for his poor lifestyle, lacklustre performances on the pitch and constant injuries to boot. Dembélé had his bright moments, no one can deny that, but they were far fewer than the black ones.

It wasn’t until Xavi arrived in the winter of 2022 that things started to change. Dembélé, meanwhile, already had one foot out of Barcelona, because his contract was up in the summer and he didn’t want to extend it. But Xavi convinced him, gave him a lot of confidence on the pitch and the fast-footed Frenchman started to thrive.

He eventually recorded 13 assists in the season, and contributed 5 goals and 7 assists to the title last season, but his contribution to the team was bigger than his stats. Everything was going great, he enjoyed working with Xavi, but when PSG came knocking on the door in the summer, Dembélé didn’t hesitate to leave. Why?

“PSG and President Al-Khelaifi have been interested in me for a long time. We already had the first contact in Dortmund. But at that moment I wanted to play for Barcelona. We were also in contact in 2019 and this summer. The president showed again that he has a great desire to get me. After that, I spoke with the coach and Luis Campos (sporting director). I liked their project immediately,” Dembélé explained to French daily L’Equipe.

“Those were my two best years at Barcelona, with a coach who trusted me. But I wanted to go to PSG. It was Paris that made me change my mind rather than wanting to leave Barcelona,” the 26-year-old winger added.

“I think it was a bit of a prescription for me to play for PSG one day. I have a lot of friends who support the club and they always tried to convince me to come to Paris,” Dembélé concluded.

Source: L’Equipe