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Barcelona: Liverpool prepare €100 million bid for Ousmane Dembele

By Benjamin Barkworth

MILAN, ITALY - NOVEMBER 06: Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona gestures during the Group B match of the UEFA Champions League between FC Internazionale and FC Barcelona at San Siro Stadium on November 6, 2018 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
MILAN, ITALY - NOVEMBER 06: Ousmane Dembele of FC Barcelona gestures during the Group B match of the UEFA Champions League between FC Internazionale and FC Barcelona at San Siro Stadium on November 6, 2018 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /
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The French winger’s future at Barcelona is uncertain as he struggles to live up to his large price tag.

It’s no secret that Ousmane Dembele hasn’t fitted in seamlessly at Barcelona, even though this is his second season at the club, due to the high expectations on the pitch as well as his behaviour off the pitch. His numbers are decent this season for a 21-year-old, six goals and two assists in 15 games this season, but his behaviour on the pitch can seem lethargic at times which doesn’t help when he loses possession repeatedly and there is a sense that we are only seeing sparks of his brilliance.

According to The Sun, Liverpool are set to take advantage of his uncertain future by launching a €100 million bid for him in January as Jurgen Klopp aims to strengthen his squad for their title push. This could tempt the Barcelona board because they also have Malcom and Philippe Coutinho to play in the forward roles alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, so recouping a large amount of the fee spent on him would be the easiest option.

The Reds have a potent attacking trio so adding to that is a scary thought indeed. Klopp has started to transition to a 4-2-3-1 formation rather than the 4-3-3 he predominantly used last season, which means there would be a space for Dembele on his favoured right-wing, although Xherdan Shaqiri would be forced to drop down to the bench.

This would be a huge mistake for Barcelona, though. He may have his issues, but he needs more time to learn from his mistakes. They can’t afford to let such a talented player move away from the club, especially for a financial loss. It’s well-known that Barcelona’s style can take a while for players to adjust to and his unprofessional behaviour is likely to end once he matures.

10 goals and 10 assists in 2110 minutes across his entire Barcelona career is a great return for such a young player. This season he has scored winners against Real Valladolid, Real Sociedad, Real Valladolid and Sevilla in the Super Cup as well as sparking the comeback against Rayo Vallecano. These examples show that he can be a match-winner for Barca, which is what he was brought in for.

The injury he sustained early last season certainly had a huge impact on how quickly he was able to settle in, so it has to be acknowledged that this is realistically his first full season at the club. He does need to work on his defensive responsibilities as well as taking better care of the ball or at least take risks in less dangerous areas, but that is likely to come with time as he continues his development.

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He appears to have the support of his teammates based on Gerard Pique’s Real Betis post-match comments, and the club has met with his agent in order to clear the air and ensure they are working together. Therefore, the club is being patient for now so he needs to show his quality on the pitch consistently to get the cules behind him.