Dembele can join Barca for right price

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund will sell want-away winger Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona if their price is met, the German club said.

“We have a clear position and a clear idea (of the price). If this idea is met, then he will transfer this summer,” Dortmund director of sport Michael Zorc told Sky before their match at Wolfsburg on the first weekend of the new Bundesliga season.

“Otherwise he will stay with us – it’s as simple as that.”

The 20-year-old Dembele attempted to force Dortmund into selling him to the Spanish giants by boycotting training last week, which led to him being indefinitely suspended, after Borussia rejected an initial bid.

Barcelona are eager to sign Dembele and Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho to replace Neymar, who left for Paris St Germain.

Frenchman Dembele has a contract until 2021 with the German club. Reports claim Dortmund want€ R130mil (RM656mil) for the player €they paid Rennes 15mil (RM76mil) for last year, after rejecting an ini-€tial offer of 80mil (RM404mil), plus €a 40mil (RM202mil) bonus.

Should Barcelona fail to meet the asking price, Dembele will have some bridges to build at Dortmund.

“Of course there is a way back and that will be on Sept 1 when a transfer is no longer possible,” said Zorc.

“The decision will not be met on transfer deadline day, it will be before that.

“The situation is very challenging, we haven’t said it was easy.”

Zorc confirmed reports Dembele has left Dortmund.

“We know where he is, he’s in France. We had contact with his staff and his advisers,” he added. — AFP