Dembele going nowhere

The meeting took place during the last international break, with reports in the run up to the discussions suggesting that Dembele would use the opportunity to communicate his desire to leave the club.

The youngster has struggled to find his best form since joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, with his maiden campaign in Catalonia disrupted by injuries and questions over his commitment and attitude creeping in in recent weeks.

A World Cup winner in the summer with France, Dembele's ability is not in question, but with reports claiming he missed a recent training session due to having been up all night playing video games with friends, his attitude certainly is.

However, his last-gasp equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid at the weekend could mark the renaissance of his Barca career, with 'ESPN' claiming htta neither club nor player are actively looking to secure a move away.

That news would appear to lessen the likelihood of PSG star Neymar making a shock return to the Camp Nou, with some sources suggesting that the 'Azulgrana' were pondering using Dembele as a makeweight in any deal.

Dembele must now show the kind of form that convinced Barca to shell out some £96m for his services less than 18 months ago and finally prove he has everything needed to be a regular starter.