Borussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin has conceded that he 'understands' why Ousmane Dembele has left the German outfit for Barcelona.
It was announced on Friday that Barcelona had agreed a £96.8m deal with Dortmund for the transfer of the 20-year-old, who is expected to undergo a medical with the Spanish giants on Monday.
Sahin has claimed that Dembele 'knows he made a mistake' after going on strike in a bid to force a move to the Spanish giants, but the 28-year-old does not blame for the Frenchman for moving to a team of Barcelona's ilk.
"Of course we talked about it, but I wish him all the best," Sahin told reporters. "He knows for sure that he made a mistake [with the nature of his departure] and that it might have worked differently.
"I can understand him, that he wanted to change to Barcelona. I went to [Real] Madrid myself. He is a fantastic footballer and I wish him all the best. I'll be watching when he plays.
"We are not Barcelona. We have talked about the following: if Barcelona lose Neymar, we cannot hide from it at Dortmund.
"In world football, it is so that there is always a step above your own club. We also buy players from other clubs. The roundabout will continue to turn. But Borussia Dortmund will always continue. We are playing good football right now."
Dembele scored 10 times and provided 18 assists in 47 appearances for Dortmund during the 2016-17 season.
Matt Law
