Saudi Arabia targets PSG with Dembélé move
Saudi officials are pushing to sign Ousmane Dembélé, who has yet to finalize a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain. The move would fit into the PIF’s new strategy of blockbuster signings.
Saudi Arabia has renewed its push, as previously reported by this newspaper, with a revamped recruitment strategy set to begin this summer and tied to the World Cup cycle. Several familiar names have long been on the Saudi radar, including Vinícius, Casemiro and Salah. Over the past few hours, another has emerged with force: Ousmane Dembélé.
The reigning Ballon d’Or winner, a star at Paris Saint-Germain, is 28 and fits squarely into the country’s football growth plan, known as Vision 2030. The aim is to elevate the domestic league ahead of the 2030 World Cup and, in particular, the tournament Saudi Arabia hopes to host four years later. Nicknamed “The Mosquito,” Dembélé is at an ideal age and meets the elite-profile criteria Saudi officials are targeting for their next wave of signings.
Dembélé contract talks stalled
Dembélé is under contract through 2028, and talks with PSG over a possible extension have taken place, but negotiations are currently frozen with no immediate progress expected. Club president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi has already made clear that PSG will not overextend financially. “We have a salary cap, everyone knows it,” he said. PSG is majority owned by Qatar Sports Investment, part of the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar.
The stance over Dembélé by PSG has been interpreted in Saudi Arabia as an opening. According to AS sources, two of the leading clubs controlled by the Public Investment Fund are evaluating a deal that could reach nine figures. Dembélé’s current market value stands at around $110 million. He would be the second Ballon d’Or winner signed by Saudi-backed clubs in three years, following Karim Benzema.
The PIF has also begun opening the door to private investment in the clubs it owns, including Al Hilal, Al Ittihad, Al Ahli and Al Nassr. A Saudi prince is set to take ownership of Al Hilal, and there is growing talk that Cristiano Ronaldo could eventually take control of his current club, Al Nassr. Foreign investment is already arriving, as evidenced by Al Khoolod being acquired by the Harburg Group, owned by Ben Harburg, who also owns Cádiz.
A busy summer is expected in Saudi Arabia’s transfer market, and Dembélé is the latest high-profile name to join a wish list that could dramatically accelerate the growth of Saudi football. PSG may now be facing a direct threat to one of its pillars. The possibility of Dembélé moving to Saudi Arabia is becoming real. For Saudi clubs, nothing is off the table.