Barcelona Transfer News: Ousmane Dembele Deadline Amid Latest Rumours

Barcelona have been given a two-game deadline to sign Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund as they look to replace the departed Neymar.

BVB CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke made it clear he does not want negotiations to rumble on and distract the club at the start of the new season, per Kicker (via MailOnline's Will Griffee): "The time horizon is enough for two games."

Per Griffee, 20-year-old forward Dembele has been "indefinitely excluded from training."

The Frenchman went AWOL last week as he attempted to force a move to the Camp Nou—after Dortmund rejected a €100 million (£91 million) offer for him, per The Independent's Jack de Menezes.

Given the situation, Dortmund will likely allow Dembele to leave for Barca as his continued presence at Signal Iduna Park could be unsettling to his team-mates.

But the Bundesliga outfit will want an astronomical fee, not least as they know Barca recently received £200 million from Paris Saint-Germain for Neymar.

Furthermore, Dembele is one of few young players in Europe with the potential to be a legitimate replacement for the Brazilian in Barca's first team.

Gerard Deulofeu filled the left-flank role for the Blaugrana as they lost 3-1 at the Camp Nou to Real Madrid in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday, but he is not a realistic long-term option, per Spanish football writer Dermot Corrigan:

Dembele, though, has already proved himself as a creative force.

After a breakout season with Rennes in Ligue 1 in 2015-16, the France international earned a move to Dortmund last summer.

Despite his youth he quickly became one of the club's key players and finished the season having returned a combined 18 assists in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League, as well as eight goals, per WhoScored.com.

He could directly replace Neymar on the left flank in Barca's front three—alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez—but he would also offer manager Ernesto Valverde flexibility as he can play through the middle or on the right. 

Barca are going to have to pay big to snap him up, though, and Dortmund are not prepared to let the negotiations drag out to the end of the transfer window.