Saturday 26 August 2017 09:40, UK
Barcelona have reached an agreement to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembele for a club-record fee.
The 20-year-old France international forward is due to arrive in Barcelona on Sunday and will undergo a medical on Monday before signing a five-year contract. He has been given squad number 11.
A Barcelona statement read: "FC Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund have reached an agreement for the transfer of Ousmane Dembele for 105 million euros (£97m) plus add-ons.
"The player will sign a five year contract and his buy out-clause is set at 400 million euros."
The fee is the second highest of all time, behind just the £200m PSG paid Barcelona for Neymar earlier this summer, and the add-ons in the deal are up to 40 per cent of the initial fee, which equates to 42 million Euros (£38m).
Barca coach Ernesto Valverde is thrilled to have landed Dembele and said: "He is a player who guarantees us depth, something that we have lost and that we need.
"He can play on the wing and also as a striker, and in that sense offers us many possibilities.
"He is fast, deep, technical and we hope he brings us many things."
Dembele is the first attacking player Barca have bought since Neymar's departure, the La Liga side having had several bids for Philippe Coutinho rejected by Liverpool.
Valverde was asked about Dembele's huge transfer fee during his press conference on Friday, to which he replied: "We know how things are going in this market. Prices have risen sharply after Neymar's buy-clause was paid.
"It seems that all the clubs are going to sign the most expensive players in their history because prices are rising.
"In the end, when a player is on the pitch you don't think about whether he has cost more or less. He's a player who generates hope and expectation, and we hope to see the best of him."
Dembele only joined Dortmund from French Ligue 1 club Rennes last summer in a £13m deal.
Dembele scored six goals and contributed 13 assists in 32 Bundesliga matches during his first season at the Westfalenstadion.
Rennes are due 25 per cent of the fee Barcelona have paid for Dembele, under the terms of a sell-on clause.
