Dembele Reportedly Longing for FC Barcelona, Rues Transfer to PSG

Ex-FC Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele “misses” his former club and is “regretting” the decision to join Paris Saint-Germain this summer according to El Nacional.

Dembele shocked Culers and left head coach Xavi Hernandez “disappointed” when it emerged he would make the shock switch to the French capital.

Amid a paltry €50 million ($53.6 million) release clause, the Qatari-backed giants agreed to hand over slightly more than that to snatch away the 26-year-old, who joined Barca for a fee of €105 million ($112.7 million) plus €40 million ($43 million) in add-ons from Borussia Dortmund in 2017.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that Barca will have to share the transfer fee PSG paid with Dembele and his agent Moussa Sissoko.

As Dembele adapts to life in Ligue 1, though, failing to notch either a goal or assist in 194 minutes across three appearances, El Nacional reports that he misses life in Catalonia.

There he was an undisputed starter for Xavi preferred over Raphinha on the right wing.

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Had he stuck around, it is doubtful that 16-year-old La Masia prodigy Lamine Yamal would have begun a trio of matches in La Liga over the past few weeks.

At the Parc des Princes under Luis Enrique, however, Dembele is in competition with far more players in Goncalo Ramos, Kang-In Lee, Marco Asensio, Bradley Barcola and Randal Kolo Muani to name a few.

If he doesn’t train well, it is likely ‘The Mosquito’ will warm the bench for known authoritarian Luis Enrique and the others will be rewarded with playing minutes at his expense.

Furthermore, the role that Dembele is expected to play for PSG is different to the one he enjoyed previously.

With Barca, he had free reign in attack and could take shots at will. For his new outfit, however, he – and anyone else that shares the pitch with the Ballon d’Or-aspiring superstar – must serve Kylian Mbappe.

Penning a five-year contract with PSG which pays him a reported €20 million ($21.5 million) a season, there is no turning back now for Dembele.

He might take well to the French club eventually, or be left to ponder what could have been representing the outfit where he won three La Liga titles.