Ousmane Dembele has not yet justified the €105 million (plus a reported €40 million on add-ons) that Barcelona paid for his services in August 2017.
Dembele has only made 74 appearances in three seasons and, what is even more worrying, only 9 appearances in the 2019/20 season. His 19 goals in three seasons (including only one in since August 2019) are an abysmal return which has exhausted the patience of millions of Barca fans around the world.
As I have argued in much more depth talking to The Barcelona Podcast, I would be prepared to sell Dembele for offers above the €70M mark – no less. Failing that, giving Dembele a final season to finally prove his worth at the Camp Nou would not be a terrible idea either.
Listen to The Barcelona Podcast here:
Unsurprisingly, Dembele continues to be at the heart of ongoing transfer speculation. Barcelona legend Rivaldo has made his feelings very clear:
“There are rumours suggesting that PSG might be interested in Dembele and, even though I think Dembele is a great player, I believe this could be a good opportunity for Barcelona to finally bring Neymar back.”
“Of course, Barcelona will need to pay some additional money to pull off the deal, but I think this could be a mutually beneficial piece of business for both clubs.
“Dembele could see it as a good move, as he will have the chance to rediscover his best form and become one of PSG’s star players.
“Dembele would be back in his native country and could produce solid performances, so I think this move would be interesting for him. But, first we must wait to see if the clubs will reach an agreement.”
As I have argued in our The Barcelona Podcast, Dembele has the potential to be a decisive factor for Barcelona’s attack. His anarchic dynamism, blistering pace and unpredictable decision-making are all impressive, a step ahead of many of his teammates at the Camp Nou.
If the French international was finally able to fully focus on his professional duties, therefore doing everything within his power to avoid any further season-ending injuries, I am sure he can still become a key protagonist at Barcelona.
Personally, I would much rather prefer that Barca retain Dembele for a further season unless PSG (or any other major European club, for that matter) are prepared to fork out at least 70% of the hefty transfer fee that the Catalans paid Liverpool three seasons ago.
