Dortmund CEO Hits Out at Barcelona Over Dembele, Says Transfer is Less Than 50% Likely
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has hit out at Barcelona over their pursuit of young forward Ousmane Dembele, admitting that he currently puts the chances of a Camp Nou move for the French starlet at under 50%.
Speaking to Sky Sport Germany over the weekend, Watzke suggested that the Catalan club were to blame for Dembele going missing from training earlier this month - leading to a fine and suspension for the 20-year-old.
"The chances of the Dembele transfer going through are under 50 percent, I believe," he said.
"[Barca] either pay the sum we are holding out for or he stays here.
"They want him, but he is under contract for four more years and [Paris Saint-Germain] have just given them €222m for Neymar. If they meet our demands in a timely fashion, the transfer will happen. If they don't, it won't."
Asked if the Bundesliga side had ramped up their asking price to reflect Barcelona's €222m windfall after the sale of Neymar, he admitted: "Of course this is so."
He continued: "Ousmane went on strike and then he got suspended [by the club]. So far, he has not asked us to end the suspension, so you'd need to discuss our friends from Catalonia's role [in that].
"We met with Barcelona officials on the Wednesday and our ideas were poles apart. By coincidence, [Dembele] then doesn't show up for training on the Thursday. The timing is striking. Do you believe that a 20-year-old does not attend training without the goodwill of the club trying to sign the player?"
