Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 2:51 PM• Chris Meijer

Yusuf Demir has been making an excellent impression at Barcelona so far. The eighteen-year-old attacking midfielder is rented by Barcelona this season with an option to buy from Rapid Wien. RAC1 reports that Demir made such an impression in the preparation that Ronald Koeman personally congratulated President Joan Laporta on bringing in the single Austria international.

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.

The other interested clubs could probably have paid more than financially destitute Barcelona, ​​but Demir’s choice was clear: he wanted to play with his idol Lionel Messi in Barcelona. As a result, the Catalans are renting him this season for 500,000 euros from Rapid Wien, after which he can be definitively taken over in a year for ten million euros. It was initially intended that Demir would play his matches in Barcelona B this season, but there seems to be a good chance that the young Austrian will be promoted to the main squad earlier than planned.

RAC1 and Mundo Deportivo report that Koeman is surprised by Demir, who had a basic place in the first two exhibition games against Nástic (4-0 win) and Girona (3-1 win). He is still expected to start at Barcelona B, but it is assured that sooner or later Koeman will give Demir a chance in the main squad if he continues to develop like this. Koeman will in any case take the impressive acquisition to the training camp in Germany and Austria, where practice matches against VfB Stuttgart and Red Bull Salzburg will be played in the coming period.