Ousmane Dembele is a richly talented footballer – but Barcelona are getting a poor return on their investment so far.
The expensive package from Borussia Dortmund often finds himself on the front pages of newspapers rather than the back.
Sometimes it’s for unleashing a wonder strike, other times it’s his dazzling skills or breaking of famous ankles that catches the eye. But too often he’s at the centre of headlines which question his professionalism.
But despite being a bit of a nuisance off the field and getting dispossessed more often than not on it, Dembele remains one of the top prospects in the world.
Although it is not always evident, the Frenchman’s inclusion in the Blaugrana line-up is a move that generates returns.
The 21-year-old might be repeatedly dispossessed and persistently play the wrong pass, but he’s brave enough to take that chance other players would dread, and leaves his mark on games.
This is evidenced by his performances against Real Valladolid, Real Sociedad, Rayo Vallecano and Atletico Madrid this season.
On three of occasions the Blaugrana won by just one goal and drew the other. Dembele was not the best player on the pitch, but scored the decisive goal to fetch his team pivotal points.
Ousmane Dembélé this season:
— FootballTalentScout (@FTalentScout) November 25, 2018
- 16 games ✔️
- 7 goals ⚽️
- 2 assists 🅰️
- decisive goal in the Supercopa ✅
- winning goal vs Valladolid ✅
- winning goal vs Real Sociedad ✅
- equalizer vs Rayo ✅
- equalizer vs Atlético ✅
He is doing just fine at Barcelona. 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/bZJhzH6NLK
The youngster can often register a 5/10 rating in a game but still be in the right place at the right time to score important goals.
We have to remember the player is still just 21. And while he is not really a kid anymore, he has his whole career to improve and work on the areas of his game that need development – he just needs to be diligent and hungry enough to want to do this.
Dembele has an xG90/G90 (expected goals per 90/goals per 90) ratio of 2.4, inferior to only Iago Aspas in La Liga. This makes him one of the most clinical forwards in the league, an efficient finisher who makes the most of most half-chances that come his way.
If you look deeper into the statistics, Dembele has done enough in the past to make a strong case for a promising career at Barcelona. Data portrays him to be evolving at the Catalan club despite the negativity around him.
At Rennes, the Frenchman averaged about two key-passes every game. The ambipedal winger outdid himself twice, with 2.73 key-passes per 90 minutes at Borussia Dortmund and 3.04 in his current season at Barcelona.
Apart from his playmaking abilities, Dembele has also improved his conversion and is now a more clinical player than he ever was.
The Frenchman’s G90/xG90 ratio rose from 1.74 at Rennes, to 2.47 at Barcelona this season. That the sample set is limited for the current season and it’s hard to maintain such a ratio throughout the season is true. But given his talent, it would be a calculated risk to provide him more minutes and find out if he can sustain it.
Barcelona already possess a golden ticket of a player in Dembele.
But it’s up to him to decide if he is going to be able to help fill the Camp Nou trophy cabinet with riches. Otherwise, this gem of a player will be left in the rough and the club will move on to the next shining young star.
