[ad_1]
Sport
Reuters staff
BARCELONA (Reuters) – Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has said that Ousmane Dembélé is no longer a guaranteed starter for his squad due to the appearance of Ansu Fati, but said it is up to the French winger to decide whether he wants to stay or move. away from the Camp Nou.
Dembélé was linked to a transfer to Manchester United among other clubs on Wednesday, and the transfer window closed on October 5.
The French forward signed for Barça for 105 million euros ($ 122.92 million) plus variable in 2017, but has been limited to 35 starts in La Liga due to a series of injuries, including two operations to treat a break in hamstring.
“It depends on the club and the player, as long as the player is with us I will count on him,” Koeman said at a press conference ahead of Barça’s trip to Celta de Vigo in La Liga on Thursday.
“He didn’t start the first game because there are other players and he has to wait his turn to play. But he took the field in the second half, he has improved physically recently, he has trained well, that shows that I count on him ”.
Barça beat Villarreal 4-0 on Sunday in their first league game of the season with two goals from teenage forward Fati, who joined Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann in attack.
Koeman also confirmed that American fullback Sergino Dest was undergoing a medical examination with the club on Wednesday ahead of a move by Ajax Amsterdam that according to Spanish media reports was worth € 20 million plus five in variables.
“Sergino is doing his medical exam right now, he still needs to sign contracts, but it seems almost certain that he will sign them,” Koeman said of the 19-year-old, who has played three games for the United States.
Dest, who broke into Ajax’s first team from the academy last year to make 27 appearances in all competitions, will compete with Sergi Roberto for Barça’s right-back after Nelson Semedo left for Wolverhampton Wanderers last week.
($ 1 = 0.8542 euros)
