3 reasons why Ousmane Dembele will be a good signing for Paris Saint-Germain
Barcelona signed Ousmane Dembele back in 2017 from Borussia Dortmund for a mammoth fee of €145m (including add-ons). He was expected to replace Neymar, who had left Nou Camp for Paris Saint-Germain in the same summer.
Back then, Dembele was expected to become one of the best players in the world. He had it all - technique, dribbling skills, ambidextrous shooting, creatvity and the ability to produce the exceptional.
Five years later, and Dembele now leaves for Paris-Saint Germain, after failing to justify his price tag at Nou Camp. The primary reason behind this was his injury record.
He never really became the focal point of attack at Barcelona but in the previous season, under Xavi, Dembele showed signs of what he can do when in full flow.
The French winger is currently receiving some hate from Barca fans, who feel betrayed by the player's decision to leave. Their frustration is understandable since Dembele has only recently started showing signs of consistency, the benefit of which could be ripped by PSG, should he stay fit.
Overall, Dembele played 185 games for the Catalan giants, registering 40 goals and 42 assists. He missed a mammoth 109 games across six seasons, averaging a little over 18 matches missed per campaign.
This article will take a look at Dembele and highlight some of the things he could offer PSG following his imminent move to the club.
#1 He has the creative spark
Before Lionel Messi left for Inter Miami, he established himself as the primary goal-maker at PSG. In his two years at the club, he laid down 34 assists for the Parisian giants.
Dembele, while not being a regular goal scorer, has the ability to draw in defenders and release passes which eventually puts his team through on goal. He has the ability to cross the ball with both feet, a rare talent in football.
With Messi gone, Dembele will be expected to fill in those shoes of being the chief trouble-maker in and around the penalty area for PSG, when it comes to creating chances.
#2 Excellent 1v1 ability
According to stats from FBREF, Dembele has a 97th percentile for successful take-on. When dribbling in 1v1 situations, Dembele can wreak havoc in opposition defences. He leaves full-backs stunted to the ground and his electric pace means that once he has gone past a player, there is no catching up to him.
As mentioned before, the ability to dribble with both feet is another asset for Dembele.It confuses the defenders as to which side the attacker is likely to move due to his optimum balance at moving in any direction.
#3 Producing moments of genius
Despite being a constant threat owing to his skillset, Dembele also has the knack to produce moments of genius out of nowhere - a hallmark for every great player in football. As per FootyStats, he completes 2.7 successful dribbles per match and is in the 99th percentile at Barca. Add to this his ability to produce a moment of genius and one will realise exactly how much tactical thinking will be needed to stop the French man.
Dembele joins the likes of Goncalo Ramos, Marco Asensio, Julian Draxler, and Kylian Mbappe, all of whom should compliment his style of play. We could see him form a special connection with Mbappe, like the former Barca man did with Robert Lewandowski at Nou Camp.
With a player like Mbappe on his side, it will only fuel Dembele to increase the frequency of his moments of brilliance