Barcelona’s Coach Xavi to Convince Ousmane Dembele to Reject PSG’s Offer

• Ousmane Dembele has emerged as a surprise transfer target for PSG
• The French club are set to trigger Dembele’s ₤50 million release clause
• Barcelona look set to explore other means to keep their forward

Ousmane Dembele’s immediate future has dominated the headlines after reports emerged of French giants Paris Saint-Germain agreeing to a verbal five-year deal with the Barcelona star.

Dembele recently entered the final year of his current contract and has so far remained calm amid the rumours – an action many at Barcelona have interpreted as being a confirmation of the agreement.

The claim of Dembele’s agreement with PSG further gained ground given reports from RAC1 that the forward recently rejected a contract extension offered to him by the Spanish champions.

However, Barcelona appear to have a plan to persuade the forward to stay at the Catalan club.

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Xavi to persuade Dembele

Barcelona’s head coach, Xavi Hernandez has not hidden his admiration for the 24-year-old French forward.

On numerous occasions, the Blaugrana side's head coach has defended the forward, who has seen his time at the club plagued with injuries.

Football Espana reports that Xavi will have one final talk with Dembele to try and get him to stay and most likely extend his current contract.

It is believed Xavi stood by the forward when all others in Barcelona's hierarchy were happy to see him out the door last season.

Xavi backed him in the face of adversity and finally got his reward, as Dembele was instrumental in guiding Barcelona to another league title – their first in four years.

Barcelona are keen on keeping Dembele and will approach UEFA to ensure PSG complies with financial fair play regulations as the deal gains more traction.

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Barcelona keen to keep Dembele

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Barcelona are desperate to keep Dembele at the Spanish side for a few more seasons.

The French attacker’s contract expires at the end of the 2024 season, but he currently has a €50 million release clause.

The relatively cheap clause means that other teams could pay it to sign the player without having to negotiate with the club, with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain already signifying their interest.