Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has urged Ousmane Dembele's critics to lay off him and give him time, insisting that it is only natural for him to make mistakes.
Goal understands that the Frenchman has asked to leave Barca having struggled to fully adapt to life at Camp Nou following his €105 million (£93m/$120m) switch from Borussia Dortmund in 2017.
Indeed, Dembele has been the subject of heavy criticism in recent times, with reports of a poor attitude and claims that he has missed training sessions.
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But Rakitic has backed his team-mate and insisted that it was always going to be difficult for him after joining one of the top clubs in Europe.