Yusuf Demir is no longer in Ronald Koeman’s plans, as you know Sport to report. The eighteen-year-old Austrian wing attacker is hired by Barcelona this season from Rapid Wien and regularly played at the start of the season, but has since lost confidence. It is therefore not obvious at the moment that the option to buy at the end of the season will be activated.
Demir’s start at Barcelona was still very promising. After his first month in Catalonia, it was already reported that the option to buy worth ten million euros would be lifted, as Koeman would initially be positively surprised by the four-time Austrian international. At 18 years and 80 days, Demir became the second youngest non-Spanish player to make playing minutes in LaLiga, after Lionel Messi, in the second league game against Athletic Club. He then also played in the league games against Granada, Cádiz and Levante and the Champions League match with Bayern Munich.
In the last five games, however, Demir remained on the reserve bench for ninety minutes and Sport writes now that the attacker is no longer in Koeman’s plans. The coach faced the necessary personnel problems in his vanguard in the first weeks of the season, as Ousmane Dembélé, Ansu Fati and Sergio Agüero were absent. Partly because of this, and to be able to estimate his potential, Demir – who was initially brought in for Barcelona B – was moved to the first team. Even before Fati and Aguero returned from their injuries, Koeman had already seen enough of Demir.
“He played a good preparation, but the pressure became too much when the competition started. At a certain point he only made safe choices,” a source from Barcelona is quoted as saying Sport. At the moment, Barcelona does not intend to exercise the option to buy in the lease with Rapid Wien. However, that option to buy becomes mandatory when Demir plays 20 matches of at least 45 minutes. At the moment he has played at least 45 minutes in the Barcelona shirt twice.
Demir has long been known as one of the greatest talents in Europe. RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, Internazionale and Borussia Dortmund, among others, had him in their sights, but the attacking midfielder was determined to make the switch to Barcelona. The fact that Barca was the only option for Demir was not exactly favorable for Rapid Wien. The club that Demir stole from fellow townsman First Vienna at the age of ten was struggling with financial difficulties this summer as a result of the corona pandemic and therefore had to let the growth brilliant go to bring in money. Barcelona is currently paying €500,000 to hire him for a season.