Dembele explains Barcelona move as £135.5m man is paraded

Ousmane Dembele has formally completed his £135.5million move to Barcelona and been paraded on the pitch at the Nou Camp.

Around 17,000 fans attended Barca’s official unveiling ceremony for the 20-year-old France winger, whose switch from Borussia Dortmund was announced on Friday.

The fee agreed between the two clubs – an initial £96.8million with add-ons potentially taking it to £135.5million – makes the player the second most expensive in history.

It is eclipsed only by Neymar’s £200.6million move from Barca to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month.

Dembele was filmed by the club arriving at Barcelona’s training ground on Monday and undergoing his medical. He then formally signed his five-year contract before being presented at the Nou Camp.

Dembele said: “I am very happy to be here in Barcelona. I have come here to win titles and am looking forward to integrating into the team.”

He added at a later press conference: “Barcelona is the best club in the world and I am looking forward to playing with some of the best players in the world such as Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. I will do everything possible to contribute to this team.”

Dembele has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence since breaking into the Rennes team in September 2015. He was named Ligue 1 young player of the year in 2016 and moved to Dortmund for £13million just 12 months ago.