Barcelona Transfer News: Ousmane Dembele Offer Rejected by Borussia Dortmund

Zhong Zhi/Getty Images

Barcelona have had a bid turned down for Borussia Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembele.

The Bundesliga side confirmed the rejection of Barca's offer in a statement detailing talks between the two clubs, per Ed Malyon of The Independent:

Meanwhile, Dortmund manager Peter Bosz said the France international was absent from training on Thursday, per Ed Aarons of the Guardian. BVB have since suspended the player for skipping the session, per Stefan Buczko of ESPN FC:

Worryingly for Dortmund's prospects of keeping the player, Bosz confirmed Dembele simply didn't turn up for scheduled training, per Aarons:

"He wasn't there this morning, and if I am completely honest, I have to say that I have no idea why he wasn't. We have tried to reach him but we have not managed to."

Aarons also detailed how talks between Dortmund and Barca about a possible deal have been gathering pace, but the German club want at least €150 million for Dembele.

New Dortmund manager Bosz confirmed Dembele missed training without explanation on Thursday.PATRIK STOLLARZ/Getty Images

Despite the fee, there is still confidence the 20-year-old will join the Blaugrana during this transfer window.

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Aarons cited a report from L'Equipe, as well as one from Sky Germany, both indicating Dembele will move to the Camp Nou, with the French publication saying the former Rennes ace will fly to Barca imminently.

However, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc confirmed Dembele is still in Germany, per Buczko:

While losing him would be a blow for Bosz, signing Dembele would be something of a coup for new Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde. He would get a precocious forward capable of replacing Neymar, who has joined Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee.

Dembele can thrive from either flank, providing goals and assists in abundance. He marked his debut season in the German top flight with six goals and 12 assists, per WhoScored.com.

Dembele would be a natural replacement for Neymar at Barca.Kamil Zihnioglu/Associated Press

The versatile winger would surely strike a quick rapport with Barca's star forwards Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, ensuring Neymar would not be missed too much.