Lionel Messi Congratulated New Signing Ousmane Dembele After Barcelona Debut in 5-0 Espanyol Win

Lionel Messi sent Ousmane Dembele a message of support after the new Barcelona signing's La Liga debut on Saturday.

The former Borussia Dortmund winger came on as a substitute for Gerard Deulofeu in the second half and impressed during his cameo, assisting Luis Suarez for Barcelona's fifth goal of the evening.

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Messi scored a hat-trick during the Catalan derby and, according to Don Balon, talked to  Dembele after the match, congratulating his new teammate for the way he has settled in at the Nou Camp.

Barcelona bought Dembele from Dortmund for a massive €105m with another €40m in add-ons and the France international is expected to act as a straight replacement for Neymar, who joined Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in a world record transfer.

The report also claims that Barcelona's arch rivals Real Madrid are angry after not attempting to sign Dembele, with Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane reportedly against a move for the winger due to the presence of striker Karim Benzema at the Bernabeu.

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Dembele could have usurped his compatriot had he chosen Madrid over Barcelona but no offer was made by the La Liga champions and president Florentino Perez now regrets not attempting to acquire the 20-year-old.

The former Rennes man was picked up by Dortmund after impressing in France and contributed six goals and 12 assists in 32 Bundesliga appearances during his solitary year in Germany.

His assist helped Barcelona record a 5-0 win over Espanyol, with Ernesto Valverde's side now top of La Liga thanks to three consecutive wins.