RB Leipzig's quarantined training camp has helped Dani Olmo integrate into the team quicker, according to Yussuf Poulsen.
Olmo surged into the spotlight with his Champions League performances for Dinamo Zagreb in the first half of 2018-19, leading to interest from Barcelona – who he left as a 16-year-old – and Juventus. However, it was Leipzig that came out on top in the race for his signature in January.
Olmo was only able to make five appearances under Julian Nagelsmann before the coronavirus pandemic brought the Bundesliga season grinding to a halt for two months.
Stunning finish by Dani Olmo! #UCL | @gnkdinamo pic.twitter.com/mnPkCufA9w
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 18, 2019
While he may have missed out on training time, Poulsen believes Olmo has benefited on a personal level from being kept near his new team-mates.
Poulsen told Stats Perform News: "He can give us a lot. He is a very good, talented player and he will also get enough time on the field in the future. I'm sure of it, because he's a really good footballer.
"I think the coronavirus period was hard for him. Because especially the new players can't train the processes on the field, because we trained in small groups.
"On the other hand, we were in quarantine for a week now, where you have more to do with each other on a personal level. I think that definitely helped him a lot, because he integrated into the team faster on a personal level."
Olmo recently confirmed that he received an offer to return to Barcelona and turned down proposals from Premier League clubs before completing a move to Leipzig in the winter transfer window.
"I had several offers, not only from Spain, but also from Italy and England," Olmo told Mundo Deportivo. "But RB Leipzig was the team that bet the most. The sports director came to see me in Zagreb and the coach called me to convey his interest because he wanted me to be part of his staff. And that was very important to me.
"The project they offered me was not given to me by any other team. This is how I felt and I was determined that it was the best option. I am clear about the path I want to travel and what I have to do to achieve it."