Dortmund CEO: €100M not enough for Ousmane Dembele
Not even a €100-million offer would coax Borussia Dortmund into selling dribbling whiz kid Ousmane Dembele, club CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said Saturday.
"In every case, (the transfer fee is) not enough," Watzke told Eurosport, with translation from ESPN FC.
Barcelona has reportedly eyeballed Dortmund's 20-year-old as a potential replacement for Neymar, who completed a €222-million move to Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the week.
Although Barcelona has no shortage of money to reinvest, the Catalan giant now faces a battle against time, with the transfer window set to close Sept. 1.
It has put the Blaugrana in a difficult position to negotiate a fair price, as clubs sense their desperation in the hunt for Neymar's heir.
Dortmund only signed Dembele last summer for a modest €15-million fee, but a impressive debut season in the Bundesliga boosted his value.
Watzke is wary of the consequences of cashing in on a future star of the sport, citing Wolfsburg's 2015 decision to sell Kevin De Bruyne as a cautionary tale. Wolfsburg struggled to retain talent in the years since, and barely escaped relegation in May.
"I remember Kevin De Bruyne, he was the Bundesliga's record transfer. When you see the years after, it was not the best transfer though as the team lost lots of quality," Watzke said.
Dembele scored six goals and registered 12 assists in 22 league appearances last term, playing behind the striker or on the right wing.