PSG Sign Ousmane Dembele Amid Kylian Mbappe's Contract Saga

As Kylian Mbappe's contract dispute with Paris Saint-Germain rumbles on, the Qatari-backed club announced a new signing - Ousmane Dembele on a five-year-deal from Barcelona. He is the ninth summer arrival at a side which has lost Lionel Messi to Inter Miami, and may soon be facing up to life without Mbappe. In an affair that has dominated transfer market headlines Mbappe has refused to sign an extension to his PSG deal, meaning he can leave for free next year, with Real Madrid long seen as his preferred destination.

PSG want to sell him now and bring in a significant transfer fee for a player who cost 180 million euros ($198m) from Monaco in 2017.

"The position is very clear. If Kylian wants to stay, he must sign a new contract. We can't let the best player in the world today leave for free. It's impossible," PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi said last month.

Mbappe has not been allowed train with the first team and played only one of PSG's five warm-up games and was not invited to the pre-season tour in Japan and South Korea.

Despite his sidelining Mbappe was one of the first to welcome Dembele to the Parc des Princes.

"Welcome home my brother, so happy to see you here, the adventure begins," Mbappe posted on social media to greet Dembele with whom he won the World Cup in 2018.

The 26-year-old Dembele joined Barcelona in 2017 from Borussia Dortmund and had extended his contract last year until 2024.

PSG took advantage of the player's 50 million euros ($54 million) release clause to sign the former Rennes forward.

"I'm very happy to join Paris Saint-Germain and can't wait to play in my new colours," Dembele said in a PSG statement.

"I hope to continue to grow here and make all who love the club proud."

Dembele, who has 37