Why Dembele to PSG rumours have cranked up
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 28 Feb 2022 17:34 GMT
- 3 min read
Ousmane Dembele might have been starring for Barcelona against Athletic Club on Sunday, but less than 24 hours later he was in France, where his presence sparked a fresh round of rumours that he could be on his way to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
Dembele is out of contract with Barcelona in the summer and was involved in a very public arm wrestle over his future with the club in January.
It was a battle that he ultimately won. Barca threatened Dembele with being frozen out of the first team for the remainder of the season if he did not sign a new deal, only to back down when he stood his ground.
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The decision of the club has since been vindicated. Although the France international has been a replacement in the main, he has a goal and three assists in his three league outings since being brought back.
Just how welcome he is, though, remains disputable. Against Athletic, he was jeered onto the field as he made his entrance as a replacement – hardly the type of greeting that is likely to be the catalyst for a U-turn in his thinking.
Nevertheless, Dembele scored one of the most memorable goals of the season as he fired into the top corner from a tight angle then proceeded to produce crosses that yielded goals for Luuk de Jong and Memphis Depay.
⚽🔥 @Auba, @Dembouz, @LuukdeJong9 and @Memphis score in @FCBarcelona goal-fest! 🎉#BarçaAthletic highlights ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/5kJXbrDB85
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) February 27, 2022
In the background, though, the battle for his future continues to wage. It appears that Dembele will be moving on from Barca, with the club apparently unwilling to match his sizeable wage demands as the struggle with financial difficulties.
His trip to Paris, then, has sparked fresh rumours of a switch to PSG. At the airport, he could be seen taking selfies with fans and signing autographs.
In reality, though, there is nothing behind these whispers.
Head coach Xavi has given the Barcelona squad three-and-a-half days off following their busy period and Dembele is simply taking advantage of this to go back home.
