Barcelona Issue Ousmane Dembele Ultimatum as Catalan Giants Weigh Up Neymar Return
Barcelona have reportedly warned Ousmane Dembele that he will be sold if he cannot fix the problems which are stunting his progress at the Nou Camp.
The Frenchman signed for the Catalan club in the summer of 2017 from Borussia Dortmund for a fee reported to exceed £100m.
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The forward has not made the desired progress in his two years at the club and, as reported by Spanish Radio, Barca have informed Dembele that he will be sold next year if he does not improve.
Signed shortly after his 20th birthday, the now 22 year-old was viewed as a long-term replacement for Lionel Messi, who turns 32 next month, but the Blaugrana hierarchy are believed to be disappointed with the Frenchman's poor attitude and lack of professionalism.
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Perhaps not by coincidence, this story has broken at the same as reports linking Barca with a shock move to bring Neymar back to the Nou Camp from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazilian transferred to the Parisian club in 2017 to escape Messi's shadow and help them win the Champions League for the first time in their history. Despite several other high profile signings, this has not worked out to date.
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Sport are reporting that whilst he has been linked to several European clubs, Neymar would love the chance to return to Barcelona, where he previously spent four years.
The rumoured £200m recouped by the Blaugrana for Neymar has been spent on the likes of Dembele and Philippe Coutinho, both of whom have failed to make an impression in La Liga.
What could potentially scupper the move is the recent breakdown in relationship between the Paris and Catalan clubs. Last summer, Barca were in talks to sell Ivan Rakitic to the Parisians, only for the Croatian to pull out of the deal at the last minute.
Barcelona are aware of the potential pitfalls of this transfer, but remain keen to make something work. Given Neymar's apparent desire to return to the north of Spain, this is a story that could stick around all summer.
