Barcelona GM: We're 'close' to signing Coutinho, Dembele

Barcelona is on the verge of adding a pair of football's most talented young stars in deals that could be worth over €200 million, according to the team's general manager.

After completing Paulinho's transfer, who was unveiled Thursday, general manager Pep Segura revealed Barcelona is "close" to completing deals for Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele of Borussia Dortmund.

Segura's revelation came on the heels of Barcelona's 5-1 aggregate defeat Wednesday to rival Real Madrid during the Spanish Super Cup.

"We know that we have to strengthen the team and that's what we will continue to do in the coming days," Segura said to TV3, as translated by Samuel Marsden of ESPN FC.

"We have to help the team. We're close (to Coutinho and Dembele), we're talking about the conditions but until everything is finalised, we can't say anything else. We hope they will wear a Barca shirt."

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

While his comments are welcome news to a Barcelona fan base reeling from the loss of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain, at least one of the clubs is refuting Segura's claim as Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke claimed a deal for Dembele is not close to being completed.

"Barcelona have so far not come a millimetre closer to their wish of completing the Dembele transfer," Watzke told kicker. "I can offer no explanation for what he (Segura) has claimed. The only reason I could think of is that Real left his side dizzy in the Super Cup."

Liverpool has yet to respond to Segura's remarks.

Both players are seemingly eager to join Barca, with Coutinho reportedly handing in a transfer request to leave Liverpool, while Dembele is serving a team-issued suspension for attempting to force a move by sitting out of Dortmund's training sessions.

Liverpool is the only one of the two to receive an offer from the Catalonians after rejecting a bid reportedly worth €100 million - the same figure in which Watzke has previously claimed would not be enough to convince Dortmund to sell Dembele.