“I know him very well” – PSG star reacts to ‘good friend’ Ousmane Dembele being linked with transfer
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defender Lucas Hernandez is tight-lipped about Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele's reported transfer to the French giants.
According to Relevo (h/t BarcaBlaugranes), Dembele has signed a pre-contract with PSG till the summer of 2028. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says that the Ligue 1 champions will have to pay just €50 million to sign him from Barca due to a private clause.
That would mean Barca recording a huge loss on a player they signed for €135 million from Borussia Dortmund six years ago. He signed a two-year deal with Barca last summer, which includes the aforementioned clause inserted in his contract.
When asked about the France international's transfer to Parc des Princes, Hernandez told RMC Sport (h/t PSGHub):
"He's a good friend of mine. I know him very well. After that, he's a Barcelona player. ... As long as he's not a PSG player, I'm not going to talk about him. But he's a very good friend of mine."
Hernandez (27) joined Les Parisiens just last month on a five-year deal from Bayern Munich for €45 million. The two play together for the France national team and have made 14 senior international appearances together.
Dembele, 26, could be a much-needed signing for Luis Enrique at PSG after Lionel Messi's exit as a free agent this summer. Moreover, Kylian Mbappe's future is up in the air, with Real Madrid touted to be the next destination for the French superstar.
Xavi remains coy about PSG target Ousmane Demebele's future
Xavi Hernandez was asked about Ousmane Dembele's future after Barcelona's 3-0 pre-season friendly win against Real Madrid on Sunday (July 30).
The Spanish tactician responded (h/t Football-Espana):
"We will see, in the transfer window you never know. I see him to be happy here. If there’s something, he will tell us. For now, he’s here, and he’s happy."
Dembele started alongside Robert Lewandowski in a strike pairing and opened the scoring in the 15th minute. It remains to be seen if the Parisians' interest in the former Stade Rennais winger hampers his participation in Barca's final pre-season game in the USA this summer.
They take on AC Milan on Wednesday (August 2) at the Allegiant Stadium. The French giants, meanwhile, hope to sign Dembele before their Ligue 1 opener against Lorient on August 12.
If Dembele leaves, he would do so as a high-profile signing who failed to actualize his true potential, largely due to injuries. He has registered 40 goals and 43 assists in 185 competitive games for the Blaugrana.