OMNISPORT

Barcelona must give Ousmane Dembele time to settle into life in LaLiga following his €105million move from Borussia Dortmund, according to his former team-mate Marc Bartra.

The France international completed his switch to Camp Nou on Monday, finally offering Barca a replacement for Neymar following his world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Bartra - who came through the youth ranks at Barca - believes Dembele is a great signing for Ernesto Valverde's side, but is keen that there is not too much expectation placed on the 20-year-old.

"Dembele is a pure talent, it's a great signing," Bartra told a news conference while on international duty with Spain.

"I know this from everything he has brought us last year [at Dortmund]. He is a very good player but he needs patience.

"He is very young and he cannot be compared to anyone - Neymar is among the best three players in the world."

Dembele may have seen Barca as the better move for his career, but Bartra is very happy at Signal Iduna Park after struggling to hold down a regular first-team spot with the Catalan giants.

"I have had a year in Germany in a very competitive and intense league," the central defender added.

"I stepped into this, into a club that needs me to be in the team. It's a very important year and I'm in the right place for me.

"It is perfect to continue growing and continue doing the work that can lead me to the national team. I'm on the right path."