Barcelona not even a 'millimetre closer' to signing Ousmane Dembele, insist Borussia Dortmund

Barcelona are not a "millimetre" closer to signing Borussia Dortmund winger Ousmane Dembele, according to the German club's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.

The La Liga giants remain determined to sign Dembele before the summer transfer window closes on 31 August to help fill the void left by Neymar's record-breaking transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.

Reports from the Catalan press this week have suggested Barcelona are hopeful of completing a deal for the 19-year-old this week, with the club's general manager Pep Segura claiming on Wednesday they are "close" to signing both him and Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho.

Dortmund have hit back at those claims, however, with Watzke also taking the opportunity to aim a dig at the club following their comprehensive Spanish Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid.

"Barcelona has not moved a millimetre closer to finishing the Dembele transfer, what he [Segura] talks about, I cannot explain," Watzke told Kicker. "The only explanation is that Real Madrid made Barcelona dizzy during the Supercopa matches."

A 2-0 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu sealed a 5-1 aggregate defeat for Ernesto Valverde's side on Wednesday – two matches that served to highlight the alarming chasm in quality opening up between the two arch-rivals.

Last week, Dortmund confirmed they had rejected an offer – also said to be worth €100m – and suspended the France international until further notice after he failed to report to training. The club have not ruled out a transfer however, with reports suggesting the Bundesliga side are seeking a fee closer to €130m.

Like Dortmund, Liverpool have also rejected Segura's claims that Barcelona are now a step closer to prising their most prized assets away from them.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp insisted there was "nothing new" regarding Coutinho's future, while also dismissing suggestions the Brazil international is prepared to go on strike to force a move to the Nou Camp.

Barcelona's need to bring in Coutinho and Dembele was heightened in the aftermath of the Real Madrid defeat with Luis Suarez now set to miss up to five weeks of action after suffering a knee injury.