Paris Saint Germain to trigger release clause for Ousmane Dembl from FC Barcelona

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French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has decided to activate the release clause in the contract of their compatriot Ousmane Dembélé, paving the way for his potential transfer from FC Barcelona, according to French sports newspaper "L'Équipe."

As per the report, PSG has sent a message confirming their intention to pay the release clause, which amounts to €50 million. This leaves the Parisian club with a five-day window to finalize the deal for the 26-year-old winger.

Now, PSG must work on finalizing the details of the contract with the French international after choosing to activate the release clause. This move echoes a similar situation in 2017 when PSG paid a record-breaking €222 million for Brazilian star Neymar's release clause at Barcelona.

Dembélé, currently with FC Barcelona in their pre-season camp in the United States, has expressed his desire to join PSG, as reported by "L'Équipe."

However, it should be noted that activating the release clause doesn't guarantee an immediate agreement between PSG and Barcelona, as both clubs may still enter negotiations outside the framework of the clause.

Negotiations might involve a higher transfer fee, but with the possibility of exploring different payment methods, such as installments, without necessarily having to pay the full release clause amount upfront.

According to "The Athletic," the release clause in Dembélé's contract is set to increase to €100 million as of August 1st, today.

PSG will not be able to conclude the financial aspects of the deal before the end of the day, meaning the release clause will automatically rise to €100 million. However, this does not necessarily mean that Barcelona will demand this amount, according to sources within the Catalan club cited by "The Athletic."

Based on this, both parties will negotiate a transfer fee that exceeds €50 million, in line with Dembélé's personal preferences, as a gesture of goodwill toward Barcelona, who attempted to negotiate a new contract before the US tour to extend the current one, which expires in June 2024.

Dembélé has been representing Barcelona since 2017, following his move from Borussia Dortmund for €105 million, excluding bonuses.