"The boy is special" - Former Barcelona striker feels current Blaugrana forward is the most talented player he has seen after Leo Messi

Former Barcelona attacker Martin Braithwaite has named the most talented player in the current Blaugrana squad. According to the Dane forward, French winger Ousmane Dembele is a cut above everyone else in the Catalan giants' roster.

It goes without saying that Barcelona invested heavily in their squad this summer (around €150 million), signing the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Jules Kounde.

With players like Frenkie de Jong, Gavi and Ansu Fati already at the club, it is easy to see that the Blaugrana are filled with talent in every department.

It is worth mentioning that Lewandowski has shone brightest for the Catalan giants so far this season, with eight goals to his name in five appearances across all competitions.

Regardless, Braithwaite insists that Dembele is the finest talent at Camp Nou right now. Braithwaite went on to add that the Frenchman is only behind Lionel Messi in this regard.

The Dane forward was quoted as saying by Barca Universal:

"I have never seen someone with Dembele's talent. I'm serious. Leo Messi is something else, but after him, I haven't seen any player like Dembele. The boy is special."

Braithwaite had the privilege of sharing the dressing room with Dembele and Messi when he arrived at Camp Nou from Leganes in February of 2020.

The attacker ended up playing 58 games for the Catalan giants across all competitions. He recorded 10 goals and five assists to his name before leaving for Espanyol this summer.

Ousmane Dembele's numbers for Barcelona so far this season

The Frenchman is in fantastic form right now.

The Frenchman has taken up from where he left off last season, terrorizing opposition defenses with his blistering pace, electrifying dribbles and immense creativity. So far this term, Dembele has recorded one goal and four assists to his name in five appearances across all competitions.

Dembele was unstoppable for Barcelona against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Wednesday (September 7), providing two assists. Blaugrana manager Xavi Hernandez even compared the Frenchman to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Neymar after the game and said:

"I don't want to throw flowers at him but the one-on-one ability he has is at the level of the best Neymar. He has to dare more to shoot on goal and score. He's a good boy and he has to take advantage of those characteristics. He's there making a difference and he's doing it.”