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Ousmane Dembele: 'I turned down Barcelona in 2016'

France attacker Ousmane Dembele reveals that he turned down the chance to join Barcelona from Rennes in 2016.

France attacker Ousmane Dembele has revealed that he turned down the chance to join Barcelona in 2016.

Dembele became the second-most expensive footballer in the world when he moved to Barca from Borussia Dortmund in the latter stages of the summer transfer window, signing a five-year contract with the Spanish giants.

According to the 20-year-old, he had the opportunity to join Barcelona from Ligue 1 side Rennes in the summer of 2016, but opted for Dortmund as he did not feel ready to represent the Catalan outfit.

"I'd been a professional at Rennes for just six months. Can you imagine? Just six months!" Dembele told Sport. "Of course [it was too soon].

"I wanted to learn, play Champions League games, know what that competition was, to play a whole season with a big team, playing regularly, developing... I would have learned a lot in training but it would have halted my progression. Luckily Barcelona have come back for a second time and this time I could not let the train pass."

Dembele, who is currently on international duty with France, cost Barcelona an initial £96.8m, but that figure could eventually rise to £135.5m.

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