Barcelona are reportedly ready to cut short the loan stay of Austrian youngster Yusuf Demir, who could be headed to the Bundesliga in January.
According to a report from SPORT, Barcelona have decided to part ways with Rapid Vienna starlet Yusuf Demir, who had arrived at the club on loan summer with an option to make the transfer permanent.
Demir rose through the ranks at Rapid Vienna and went on to make made his debut as a 16-year-old. The teenage prodigy bagged nine goals and four assists in 38 first-team appearances for the Austrian outfit, garnering interest from several clubs across Europe. However, it was Barcelona who beat the rest of the competition to the punch last summer.
Indeed, the Blaugrana moved swiftly to sign Demir from Rapid Vienna in the summer, bringing him on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy him for a sum of €10 million at the end of the season.
Brought in for Barça’s B team, Demir was given an opportunity with the senior side by Ronald Koeman during the pre-season, and he grabbed it with both hands. Having made a big impression, the 18-year-old was drafted into the first-team squad at the end of the season and featured regularly in the early parts of the campaign.
But, Demir could not carry forward the pre-season form and struggled to make an impact, quickly finding himself on the periphery. Things got only worse for him after Xavi Hernandez took over, with the 41-year-old preferring other Barcelona B players like Abde Ezzalzouli and Ilias Akhomach over the Austrian prodigy.
In total, Demir has made nine appearances across all competitions, failing to score or assist a single goal. He has played just two minutes of football in Barcelona’s last six La Liga matches. With the young winger not a major part of the plans, the Blaugrana have decided against triggering the €10 million clause to purchase him permanently and cut short his loan spell as early as January.
Demir, as a result, will be headed back to his parent club Rapid Vienna. However, he could be on the move soon, with German clubs Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt interested in signing him and willing to pay the €10 million fees for the four-time capped Austrian international.
