Bayern Munich, PSG and Arsenal are all interested in Ousmane Dembélé
Ousmane Dembélé endured a shaky first season at Barcelona, which resulted in the management’s decision to sign Malcom from Bordeaux. He was out of action for over 4 months, and missed a total of 27 games in the process.
When he did play, the 21-year old Frenchman showed glimpses of his talent but couldn’t burst out onto the scene. As of now, he is still a promising youngster, unlike his peers, Leroy Sané, Marco Asensio and Kylian Mbappé.
Due to his previous grooming as a winger, Dembélé will need to adapt if he is to succeed at the Camp Nou. That process has already been initiated, but it may take time, which he does not have, especially with Malcom looking for a first-team spot.
This summer, he has three offers from three of Europe’s top clubs. Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have all expressed interest in signing the pacy youngster. They can all offer an undisputed place in the first-team, unlike Ernesto Valverde.
Arsenal have been looking for a successor to Freddie Ljungberg ever since he left for West Ham over a decade ago. In their unsuccessful pursuit, the Gunners have signed the likes of Andrey Arshavin and Gervinho, who have failed to succeed the Swedish legend on the right flank.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was looking promising, but he left for Liverpool. Now, Unai Emery has been tasked with rebuilding Arsenal and the Spaniard is looking at Ousmane Dembélé, despite the Frenchman’s obvious stylistic differences with Ljungberg.
Paris Saint-Germain want him just to increase their firepower. With the left and central attack well-covered with Neymar, Julian Draxler, Kylian Mbappé, Edinson Cavani and Ángel Di María, the Parisians need some reinforcements on the right, despite the versatility of their attackers.
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Even though Dembélé may have to share playing time with the likes of Di María and Lo Celso, they cannot really compete with him, with one Argentine ageing and the other one, very inexperienced. Ex-Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel is also looking to reunite with his prized finding.
Bayern Munich may be the club where Dembélé is needed the most. Arjen Robben has declined considerably, and his injury history means that his playing career is at its twilight. The Bavarians need a successor, and with Douglas Costa gone, they do not have one.
Ousmane Dembélé is the perfect successor to the 33-year old Dutchman. They share the same qualities, and he could really be a success at the Allianz Arena. But Barcelona are highly unlikely to let go of their second-most expensive signing just after a season.
The club scouts recognised Dembélé’s ability to succeed Lionel Messi in the long run when the Frenchman was at Rennes. And he does possess that ability. Barcelona spent a lot of money on him, and the winger is a long-term potential.
He does need to be moulded, but unless a club comes in a crazy offer, the management should not even consider offloading Dembélé. But it is the responsibility of Ernesto Valverde to keep Ousmane Dembélé happy, and he should be executing his responsibility.