Barcelona have not lost faith on Ousmane Dembele and are willing to keep him at least for one more season.
After his £120m transfer from Borussia Dortmund, Dembele has struggled to impress, spending majority of his time on the sidelines.
The Frenchman’s constant fitness troubles, bad personal habits and inconsistencies have pegged him to be a flop in the minds of several doubters. However, Quique Setien has talked up Dembele’s abilities and believes the winger will be sure to come back from the dead.
“He is a player who has specific attributes, and I think he can give us a lot. He feels comfortable out wide, and we will try to take advantage of that,” Quique Setién said in January.
Dembele will not return anytime soon but he could lead the Barca attack line next to Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann.
“We are going to make an extraordinary signing with the return of Ousmane Dembélé,” Setiend said in February, after Barca chose to sign nobody in the winter transfer window.
Clearly, the club still thinks Dembele will come good for them and fulfill his lofty expectations. There is no doubt over the 21-year-old’s talents but his attitude towards training and personal welfare that paints a different picture.
He might have hit several road bumps on his La Liga journey but Dembele will be assured that his chances are drying up everyday. Fans will be hoping this lengthy spell of absence will hand him the determination to prove all his critics wrong.
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