Barcelona manager Xavi reportedly referred to Neymar while making a desperate final attempt to stop Ousmane Dembele from joining Paris Saint-Germain.
- Dembele set to join PSG
- Has agreed to a five-year deal
- Xavi attempts to stop the move
WHAT HAPPENED? PSG paid a world record €222 million (£189.99m/$243.71) back in 2017 to bring the Brazilian forward to the Parc des Princes. Neymar was initially billed as the man who would finally inspire the club to Champions League glory, but he has failed to live up to expectations after six years in the French capital – despite boasting 118 goals and 77 assists in 173 appearances.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: As PSG’s proposed move for Dembele nears completion, with the club having agreed to trigger the €50m (£43m/$54m) release clause in his contract that expires on August 1, Xavi has made one last ditch attempt to stop the French forward from going to Paris. According to Mundo Deportivo, Xavi urged Dembele to ‘think about Neymar’ and his struggles at PSG in a crunch meeting with Dembele over his future, while also highlighting the Brazilian’s past attempts to return to Barcelona.
AND WHAT’S MORE: Xavi has always defended Dembele amid widespread criticism over his form and injury record. The player continues to be an integral part of the coach’s plans and he is hopeful that Dembele will now withdraw from a move to PSG after their intense discussion at the Thompson Hotel in Dallas.
WHAT NEXT? Dembele has already agreed to a five-year deal with PSG and has also asked Barcelona to launch official talks with the Ligue 1 champions to further expedite the transfer after having already made up his mind to leave the Catalan club.