Barça made a big mistake when they signed Dembele

Barça made a big mistake when they signed Dembele

Lluís Mascaró

Director de Información Deportiva de Prensa Ibérica

Dembélé vuelve al once inicial
Dembélé vuelve al once inicial | sport

FC Barcelona signed Ousmane Dembele because they needed a new star. Neymar's unexpected departure forced the club to move quickly in order to find an able replacment. They spent 105 million euros (plus another 40 million in add-ons) on the French winger. Barça got it wrong because the man they should've signed instead was Kylian Mbappe. Yet this what happens when you rush. Dembele left Borussia Dortmind to join the ranks at the Camp Nou and was under immediate pressure to deliver. It appears he wasn't ready for that. Dembele has all the qualities to become a great footballer but lacks the required attitude. His continuous indiscretions only show his youthful naivety. He hasn't fit in amongst the other members of the squad, nor the system Ernesto Valverde is using (even if the coach is determined to give him more opportunities) and is struggling to deal with life at a club as big as Barça. After such a huge outlay on securing his signature, Dembele has only offered brief glimpses of his talent in a season and a half. Remember, he's the second most expensive signing in Barcelona's history after Philippe Coutinho.

DEMBELE'S STOCK HAS FALLEN as the months pass and more problems surface (which, by the way, the club has tried to keep quiet) and now, if they put him on the transfer market, it'd be difficult to get half of their investment back. A bad deal - at the moment. This is because Dembele is young enough that he can turn the situation around. He can change, become more focused and realise he has an opportunity to enjoy major successes as a footballer. However it all depends on him; the player and the people closest to him, as they might not be who he needs at this moment in time. He should make the effort to turn this situation on its head and convince his teammates (who now prefer Malcom) that they should believe in him. It's difficult, very difficult, but not impossible..