Ousmane Dembele turned down a move to Barcelona last summer because he believed he wasn’t ready to play for one of the ‘absolute top clubs’, according to former Bayern Munich director Michael Reschke.
Dembele opted to join Borussia Dortmund after leaving French side Rennes in May 2016, despite interest from European giants Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
And Reschke claimed that Dembele’s decision was motivated by doubts that he was ready to play for one of Europe’s elite.
‘I can assess the situation of the player very well, because we were also interested, from Munich’s point of view,’ he said.
‘Last year the situation was such that Barcelona and Bayern Munich also wanted to sign the player. Barcelona was already the favourite.
‘However, he deliberately chose Borussia Dortmund, because he has also credibly declared that he was not yet ready to play at one of the absolute top clubs.’
Dembele has been suspended by Dortmund after failing to report to training in an apparent attempt to force through a move to Barcelona.
Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke has since told Barcelona they have a two-week deadline to complete the Dembele transfer.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate