Demir recalls Premier League offer

The hype around Yusuf Demir was huge.

In 2019, he debuted for Rapid in the ADMIRAL Bundesliga at age 16, played for the Austrian national team (ÖFB-Team) for the first time in 2021 at 17, and just a few months later, he moved to FC Barcelona.

However, that move almost didn't happen. In the summer of 2021, Demir had already agreed terms with an English club.

"Few people know that I had another offer from the Premier League. I was actually more inclined to move there," explains the now 23-year-old Demir on Rapid's podcast "Vereinhören".

Barcelona Call Prevented London Transfer

The aforementioned Premier League club was from London, according to Demir.

But before the move could be finalized, FC Barcelona hijacked the deal. "Actually, two days before I would have signed there," the call from the Catalans came.

Demir's decision was then clear: "When Barcelona calls you, there are no second thoughts."

Demir Shows Understanding

The rest is history: The Austrian international quickly made his mark at Barcelona, playing nine games in his first half-year. However, the attacking player was only on loan to Barcelona from Rapid, and Barca was not keen on the mandatory purchase clause that would have been activated on Demir's tenth appearance.

FC Barcelona, who were in a very tight financial situation at the time, wanted to remove the mandatory purchase clause from Demir's deal and keep the then-Austrian international until at least June 2022, but "Rapid didn't accept that, which is understandable," Demir says today.

Demir: "It Wasn't in My Hands"

Instead, he returned to Hütteldorf in January 2022, and six months later, he moved to Galatasaray for six million euros.

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How does Demir feel about his departure from Barcelona today? "It happened the way it happened. It wasn't in my hands."