On 20 November 2018, Barcelona chief Pep Segura moved to calm speculation around Ousmane Dembele, insisting the French forward would not be sold in January despite transfer talk linking him with Arsenal and Liverpool.
Dembele, who joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2018 for €105 million (£93.4 million), has struggled to fully convince the club’s hierarchy. Reports in Spain have also suggested the 21-year-old was facing an ultimatum from the Catalan side.
Segura denied there was a crisis around the player and said the club’s discussions with him were routine. Speaking to SER radio, he said: “There is no problem with Dembele.”
He added that meetings with players and representatives were part of his normal work, saying: “Yes, we had a meeting, just like yesterday I met with three other representatives, but it’s normal, it’s part of my job, they’re natural things.”
Segura also pointed to the adjustment Dembele has had to make since arriving at the Nou Camp. “Dembele is very young and has never had to make an effort like the one he is doing now to adapt to Barca’s game,” he said.
He said the club understood the difficulty of the transition and was trying to resolve it quickly. “We recognise that it is hard for him and he also recognises it, but we’re working to change this situation as quickly as possible,” Segura said.
The comments came as speculation continued over the winger’s form, attitude and maturity, with Spanish reports claiming those issues were behind the concern inside the club.
