Barcelona have signed teenage star Yusuf Demir on a season-long loan from Rapid Vienna, the club announced on Friday.
The Spanish giants will pay the Austrian club €500,000 as part of a loan move, with the option to make Demir's stay permanent for €10 million.
Demir, 18, has scored six goals in 31 games since being promoted to Rapid's first team in the summer of 2019 and was a target for Manchester United and Bayern Munich, sources told ESPN.
The Austria international made his senior team debut in March in a 2022 World Cup qualifier victory over the Faroe Islands.
Demir, who can play in full attack, is expected to open the season with Barca's B team.
Barca begin preseason training on Monday without players who are on international duty and with uncertainty over who will remain at the club.
🔵🔴 New signing for @FCBarcelonaB!
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 9, 2021
✍ Yusuf Demir
📸 @skrapid | Red Ring Shotshttps://t.co/FR1nKetO7x
Lionel Messi, who is on international duty with Argentina in the Copa America, has yet to sign a contract extension to extend his 20-year relationship with Barcelona.
His contract expired last month and La Liga warned Barca that it would have to reduce its salary bill in order to register Messi next season and stay within the salary range imposed by the league. Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman expects Messi to stay.
"It's very important for the club, but also for La Liga, that the best player in the world is here and we should all try to make sure he stays with us," Koman said while taking part in a golf tournament on Friday. " Koman Cup in Barcelona.
"When everything is not going well, you have to be concerned, but I am confident that [the club's] president [Jon Laporta] will find a solution to this issue.
"Every person has an assignment, but Laporta has told me that I don't need to stress this, that the issue is being worked on. We are confident that he will be with us for a few more years."
"Leo is the future of the club because he brings results and because he has always given his best."
Koman said this summer saw the departure of Carles Elena, Junior Firpo, Francisco Trincao and Matthias Fernandes, as well as the sales of Jean-Claire Todibo, Sergio Akime and Konrad de la Fuente to help the club stay within the salary range. was done.
The Barca boss insisted that players who remain should take pay cuts to "strive for the betterment of Barcelona".
"Everyone has to understand where we are in our lives right now," Koeman said. "If they [players] are really 'Barcelona people' then they have to put in this great effort to help the club."
Koeman praised Antoine Griezmann amid reports that he could be placed on the transfer list this summer to make room for Messi's contract to be registered.
"It was a fantastic signing," Koeman said of Griezmann's €120m transfer from Atletico Madrid to Barca in 2019. "He has shown his level of quality and he is very important to the club."
Griezmann, who scored 20 goals in all competitions last season and 13 more sets in 51 appearances, has a contract with Barca that runs until 2024.
Barca begin the 2021–22 season against Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou on 14/15 August.