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Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain plot humongous swap deal

By Prathamesh Murugesan

VIGO, SPAIN - APRIL 17: Ousmane Dembele (R) of Barcelona celebrates with team mates during the La Liga match between Celta de Vigo and Barcelona at Municipal Balaidos on April 17, 2018 in Vigo, Spain. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
VIGO, SPAIN - APRIL 17: Ousmane Dembele (R) of Barcelona celebrates with team mates during the La Liga match between Celta de Vigo and Barcelona at Municipal Balaidos on April 17, 2018 in Vigo, Spain. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images) /
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We’ve seen some pretty big transfers this summer, but this swap deal between the Spanish and French champions might be the biggest yet.

The Premier League transfer window may be done and dusted, but other major European clubs are still in the market for summer reinforcements.

Barcelona have been very active, bringing in Arthur, Lenglet, Malcolm and Vidal so far.

Following Andres Iniesta’s departure to Vissel Kobe, they’ve been trying to bring in several midfielders to replace him, including Paul Pogba and Frenkie de Jong.

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But Pogba looks set to stay at Manchester United, after Jose Mourinho recently quashed rumors of a rift between him and the Frenchman.

Ajax Amsterdam’s astronomical valuation of their 21 year old midfielder de Jong also seems to be a stumbling block for Barca.

And now according to AS, the Catalan giants have turned their attention to PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

The presidents of both the clubs reportedly met in Madrid on Friday to negotiate the deal, and Barcelona might be convinced to let go of Ousmane Dembele in exchange.

Rabiot’s contract will expire next year, and he has apparently rejected an extension offered by the club. The possibility of him leaving for free is a risk that PSG may not be prepared to take.

Dembele, on the other hand, is eager to stay in Catalonia and fight for his place at the Camp Nou, but the signing of Malcolm could jeopardize his chances of regular game time.

The 21 year old French winger was brought in only last year as a replacement for Neymar. Barcelona paid €105 million to sign him from Dortmund, but injuries and a lack of visible progress have left the club frustrated.

Valverde has already signed Arthur and Vidal this summer, but there’s no doubt that Rabiot would be a world class addition to his midfield.

The 23 year old was surprisingly left out of France’s World Cup squad in the summer, but he’s been fairly regular for PSG for quite a while now. He’s also been linked with Barcelona previously as a possible long term replacement for Iniesta.

Next. Predicted United XI vs Brighton. dark

Rabiot’s contract situation at PSG, and Dembele’s possible lack of playing time at Barca might actually push this deal through. Watch this space.

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