Ousmane Dembele skips Borussia Dortmund training session ahead of expected Barcelona move

'He wasn’t there this morning and if I am completely honest I have to say that I have no idea why he wasn’t,' Dortmund manager Peter Bosz said

Barcelona are close to signing Ousmane Dembele (Getty)

Ousmane Dembele skipped a training session without authorised permission on Thursday morning, Borussia Dortmund manager Peter Bosz has confirmed, with reports from France claiming the 20-year-old is set to complete a £135m move to Barcelona ‘imminently’.

Dortmund and Barcelona have been engaged in negotiations for the past week now as the two clubs attempt to settle upon an agreed transfer fee for the French forward.

It’s believed the Germans are refusing to drop below £135m in their demands for a player they signed from Rennes last summer for a tenth of that cost.

Although Dembele was in attendance for Wednesday’s official team photos, Bosz stated on Thursday that the youngster had failed to attend a training session scheduled for earlier in the day.

“He wasn’t there this morning and if I am completely honest I have to say that I have no idea why he wasn’t,” said Bosz.

“We have tried to reach him but we have not managed to. I hope that nothing bad has happened to him. He wasn’t there."

Asked if it was linked to Barcelona’s interest, Bosz said: “That I do not know as I haven’t spoken to him.”

L’Equipe has since reported that Dembele’s transfer to the Nou Camp is “imminent”, with the Frenchman expected to fly to Barcelona “in the coming hours” to sign a long-term contract at the club.