Ousmane Dembele Kylian MbappeGetty

Mbappe: I told Dembele to join Barcelona

Kylian Mbappe has revealed he urged Ousmane Dembele to leave Borussia Dortmund for Barcelona.

The 20-year-old winger left Borussia Dortmund for Barcelona in a deal worth an initial €105 million, which could rise a further €42m based on bonuses.

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Dembele said on Monday that he counted on his France team-mate to calm him down while he waited nervously for the deal to go through.

And Mbappe, who subsequently made his own big-money move from Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain, revealed he played an active role in convincing the attacker to take Barca's offer.

"We discussed it and he asked what I thought about it. I told him to go because it is a great opportunity for him," the 18-year-old striker told Foot Mercato.

"He can really become a great player playing with Messi and Suarez in attack. He will really progress. His talent is already incredible, but he can still reach a new level.

"That he can fulfill his dreams is what I wish for him. He managed to do it. In addition he is a friend, so it's all good.

"We have this passion for football. All that talk about prices or whatever, it does not concern us. What concerns us is just on the pitch. We want to play as we have always played since we started in football, both of us in our home cities. 

"It's not a matter of value or principle, it's just a matter of passion, feeling, that love of the game."

Dembele could make his debut for Barca on Saturday when they line up against Espanyol, while Mbappe is in line to feature for PSG for the first time against Metz.

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