New Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto has expressed his disappointment at Ousmane Dembele's decision to request a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Barca manager Xavi confirmed earlier this week that Dembele had formally requested to leave the club this summer, with 90min reporting that the France international had agreed personal terms to join PSG on a five-year deal.
Speaking to the press about Dembele's decision to leave Camp Nou this summer, new Barca captain Roberto admitted he was "disappointed" by the impending departure of the talented forward.
"It’s a shame because he’s a very important player for us," Roberto explained.
"We would have liked him to continue because he was with us for many years and he was a player who was very dear to the team. We all let him know. He made another decision… We’re sad to see him go, but we have to keep going. We have a great team and today we showed that we can compete with anyone.
"We are a little disappointed. When you love someone and want them to be with you, it’s a little disappointing when they decide to go somewhere else. It’s a job and everyone decides what’s best for them, for their career and for their family. He will have his reasons, but we have given him everything here and he knows he is an important player for us."
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Barcelona had been in negotiations with Dembele over a new contract at the club, with the player having entered the final year of his current deal, however as Xavi explained on Wednesday the club were simply unable to compete with the financial package offered by PSG.
"We cannot compete with the proposal that they've made to him, it's out of our reach," the boss conceded.
"It's simple. He came to me with a proposal from PSG. Said that he wanted to leave, that he had spoken with Luis Enrique, with Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] and has a proposal with which we cannot compete.
"We have asked him the reason and he has not been able to answer. I sense that it will be something personal. Disappointed? Yes. The important thing is that he has been clear. I wish him luck."
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This article was originally published on 90min as Sergi Roberto comments on Ousmane Dembele's 'disappointing' Barcelona exit.
