Dembélé - to sell or not to sell?

This Wednesday, Spanish newspaper 'Mundo Deportivo' reported on a meeting that took place between Barça president Josep María Bartomeu, sporting director Eric Abidal and Dembélé's agent Moussa Sissoko to discuss the Frenchman's situation at the Spanish champions.

Afterwards, 'Cadena SER' suggested that the Barça board have once again declared that the winger is not for sale. In yet another attempt to assure the footballer and his agent, Barcelona have reportedly now labelled Neymar's return as impossible, underlining their faith in the World Cup winner.

Although fitness issues and problems with his diet and punctuality have been a source of concern for some fans, the club themselves are not worried - as Bartomeu has publicly stated: "Dembele's level is now better than Neymar's. He's a much better player than Neymar and he's already adapted".

"I have explained that we have a project with Dembélé and Coutinho with the money from Neymar", added the Barça president in a debate on 'El Rondo' in April. A statement that, after the controversy caused by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi's comments in an interview with 'France Football', has been largely ignored by Barcelona fans.

However, despite the whirlwind of rumours linking Neymar with a move back to Camp Nou, the Barcelona board have wanted to highlight their confidence in Dembélé - a player who they expect to lead the club in the future.