"No way," Borussia Dortmund Sporting Director Michael Zorc replied when asked whether Ousmane Dembele could leave in the summer. "What we have seen from him was extraordinary, both in his value for team and his development. You always get the feeling he can do something special, make the difference. He can decide games by himself, even those games he's not really involved in."
Hailed as a future Ballon d'Or winner by former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre, such praise has become the norm for Dembele. After a tussle that involved all major European giants ended with a transfer to Dortmund from Rennes last summer, Dembele is in the spotlight again a year later. An excellent debut season at Dortmund has been yet another steep climb in the upward trajectory of his career.
Barcelona have retained an interest in Dembele for a long time now. Last summer, they lost out since they clearly couldn't offer the amount of first team football Dortmund could. The Spanish giants hovered over the possibility again this summer, but Dortmund rebuffed the offer out of hand. However, Barcelona don't intend to give up – and Dembele could be a Blaugrana player next summer or beyond.
Here are 5 things Ousmane Dembele would bring to Barcelona:
#5 Youth flair
Whisper it quietly, but the Barcelona squad is at a crossroads. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano are all into their thirties, and if they are to avoid the mistakes the likes of AC Milan, Inter Milan, Manchester City and Manchester United made in recent years, they need to start the process of overhauling their squad before it is too late.
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Ousmane Dembele, at 20, is the kind of signing this Barca side needs. Young, hungry and eager to learn, Messi and Suarez will have fun mentoring the carefree talent of Dembele.
#4 Squad depth
Barcelona's second string array of attackers like Paco Alcacer and Denis Suarez disappointed greatly in comparison to Real's squad options like Alvaro Morata and Lucas Vasquez. This was one of the reasons Barcelona ultimately fell short – when they had to rotate the squad, the replacements failed to live up to their expectations and cost them invaluable points.
A signing of the calibre of Ousmane Dembele would bridge the gap between the first 11 and the rest of the squad. At his age, he would not expect to play week in, week out – yet he could be increasingly influential from the bench.
And yes, he could be the difference between a point and three on nights when the South American trio is off colour, probably after a hectic international week.
#3 Counter statement to Kylian Mbappe
It seems a matter of when and not if. Mbappe will be a Real Madrid player one day – whether it is straight from Monaco or after a detour through other clubs in Europe remains to be seen.
After providing a fitting backdrop to Messi vs Ronaldo, the greatest footballing rivalry of our time, El Clasico could be set to feature next generation's tussle for Ballon d'Or as well. When Real Madrid sign Mbappe, Barcelona cannot simply stand by and watch – that is just not how the power struggle between the Spanish giants works.
Dembele would be Barcelona's answer to Mbappe. Both French, similar in style and destined for greatness – the wait for El Clasico 2022 feels unbearably long.
#2 Will free up Messi who can take up a central role
In his inaugural press conference as Barcelona manager, Ernesto Valverde hinted that Messi could move more centrally, where he can have an even greater influence on the play. That would leave a huge void to fill on the right side of the pitch, where Messi has wreaked havoc for the last decade or so.
Dembele's arrival would be the perfect answer. With Neymar and Dembele playing either side of him, Messi will have the perfect outlet for his sublime vision and ingenious passing.
As the years advance, Messi could drop deeper on the pitch as well – so a player who could eventually take his place in the front three would be an astute and prudent signing.
#1 An alternate Ronaldo-esque option
It is curious that a young player who has been dubbed the "next Ronaldo" has such sparse links to Real Madrid. Mbappe's emergence has certainly played a role – but it is notable that Dembele is a different sort of player to the one Barca are used to signing over the years.
His billing as the next Ronaldo is entirely justified in terms of style of play. Just like a young Ronaldo, Dembele loves to hug the touchline. His change of pace is frightening, he loves toying with defenders and is equally comfortable with both feet.
With Messi, Suarez and Neymar all inclined to cut in centrally, the presence of a natural wide player would be welcome in this Barcelona side. After Dani Alves' departure, the idea that the fullback can bear the burden of width has not been as successful as it once was.
Step in, Ousmane Dembele – the man to lead Barcelona to a successful decade ahead.
