I knew I would play with Messi one day - Dembele

Ousmane Dembele always believed he'd play with Lionel Messi at some stage in his career as the fit-again France international aims to help Barcelona's push for glory on three fronts this season.

Dembele joined the LaLiga giants last August following Neymar's departure to Paris Saint-Germain, completing a €105million move after just one season at Borussia Dortmund.

Yet even when he was rising through the ranks in his homeland with Rennes, the 20-year-old was confident he would one day line up alongside the Argentina superstar.

While hamstring injuries have limited his opportunities to build a strong relationship with Messi on the field, Dembele has revealed he's struck up a rapport with another new team-mate - Luis Suarez.

"Me and Luis have hit it off well together. We both like joking about," he said in an interview with French magazine Onze Mondial.

"I've fought hard to get where I am. I always knew I was going to play with Messi one day."

Dembele suffered a torn hamstring in only his second Barca appearance and while he did return to action in January, a setback two weeks later resulted in another spell on the sidelines.

However, having hired a chef to aid his diet, the forward hopes he can now help Ernesto Valverde's squad as they bid to win LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. 

"It's all gone well. The first few games helped me to adapt," Dembele added.

"I got injured, but I tried to stay calm. I felt it was better for that to have happened at the start of the season than towards the end, when the really big games come.

"I've hired an osteopath and a cook. A good diet is essential for a player and I need to look after myself."