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Ousmane Dembele broke out onto the football scene during the 2015-2016 season for Stade Rennais in Ligue 1. Seven years on from that season, the Frenchman is at a crossroads.
He is on the verge of becoming a free agent this summer and is all set to leave his current club Barcelona. He has a lot of interest from various clubs, and a decision will be made soon.
A winger as exciting as Dembele and on a free transfer is an appealing move for any club. While there are plenty of pros for a potential move, there are also a few cons to any potential transfer. Here we will look at both areas and whether he can still live up to the expectations.
Dembele an elite winger at his best
Dembele, in his first-team debut season, scored 12 goals and provided five assists for Rennes in 29 appearances. His form caught the eye of Borussia Dortmund, who signed the player in 2016.
Under Thomas Tuchel, the youngster made 49 appearances scoring 10 goals and providing 21 assists. Brilliant with his left and right foot, a pacy winger, and a marvelous dribbler, he was pure entertainment.
Tuchel moved on to Paris Saint Germain, while Barcelona came in for Dembele, having seen enough to make a move. At Barcelona, he has made 150 appearances over five seasons, scoring 32 goals and providing 34 assists. Out of those appearances, he has only started 94 games. It is a decent return, but his time at the Spanish club has been riddled with injuries.
Dembele's proficiency with his left and right foot allows him to play on both wings but he predominantly operates on the right. As a right winger, he has 20 goals and 34 assists. As a left winger, he has registered 17 goals and 18 assists.
He is a player that can create for himself, his dribbling allows him to create space and score goals. The Frenchman is great at picking out players and is a threat against deep defenses.
This past season, having missed half of it due to injury, he played well during the second half of the season and topped La Liga with 13 assists. He was a key reason why Barcelona managed to finish second despite a dismal season. He is a player with an X-factor, someone that can get fans out of their seats.
Injury and attitude problems
Dembele's injury problems have been well known ever since he joined Barcelona. Hamstring and knee injuries have been an issue for him over the last five years. One reason why he suffered these injuries could be the fact that he was physically still growing and his body was adjusting. Any team that buys the winger will need to focus on limiting those injuries.
The silver lining for a prospective buyer is that he hasn't suffered an injury over the last six months and has done well on the pitch. Another critique of Dembele at Barcelona has been his attitude and discipline at times. He has missed training on a couple of occasions and has played FIFA late into the night before games.
Looking in from the outside, one assumption would be that it was a normal case of a young player finding it tough to adjust to new surroundings. The Spanish media are not easy going, and Barcelona is a massive club.
Now 25, one would expect him to go beyond such behavior. One also has to factor in how demoralizing constant injuries can be to players, and Barcelona hasn't been a stable club.
Possible destinations for Dembele
Dembele has attracted interest from two clubs in particular, PSG and Chelsea. PSG would add the Frenchman to the likes of Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé.
With it being a World Cup year, would he want to fight it out with three of the world's best players for a starting spot? His direct competition would be Messi, who would not be easily benched by the French team.
Chelsea seem like the more viable option. Thomas Tuchel is their manager and it is being reported that he is adamant about bringing his ex-player to the club. At Chelsea, his direct competitor would be Hakim Ziyech. Ziyech's future is in doubt so the Frenchman could become a starter.
He would offer Chelsea the creativity and unpredictability from the wings they have lacked since Eden Hazard left. Chelsea at times last season struggled to break opposition defenses and didn't have a player who could pick out numerous runs from forward players. Dembele has the vision to provide the service. He would be an intriguing fit and looks likely to move to London.
Overall, Dembele on a free transfer at the age of 25 is a risk worth taking for any club. Injuries can be worked on and managed, while attitudes can also be fixed if the player works in a healthy workspace.
What Dembélé offers on the pitch is rare, and it is pure talent. Unpredictability, that if used in the right way, could cause havoc. It will be very interesting to see where the Frenchman decides to go this summer.
