5 players who could replace Ousmane Dembele at Barcelona
Ousmane Dembele has had a torrid time at FC Barcelona. The Frenchman signed for the club in August of 2017 for a reported β¬145 million, becoming the joint-second most expensive player in history.
Dembele came to the club bearing great promise, having just won the Bundesliga's Rookie of the Year award.
Ousmane Dembele made his first appearance of the season this week after nearly five months out through injury.
Barcelona just announced he's injured again. π https://t.co/FPtCphlX5c
In the four years he has spent at the club, Ousmane Dembele's performances have been underwhelming. He has experienced a total of 13 injuries in four years, missing over 100 games in the process.
Dembele's injury record since joining Barcelona π€ https://t.co/WNgXzboXEw
When he has played, Dembele has managed just 31 goals from 129 appearances. Adding to this, the Frenchman's wages are on the higher side and are a liability for Barcelona in their current financial situation.
The Catalans are reportedly looking to get Dembele off their wage bill. Let's take a look at five players who could replace Ousmane Dembele at Barcelona.
#5. Antony dos Santos - Ajax
Antony is one of the best options to consider as a direct replacement for Ousmane Dembele. The 21-year-old has been making quite a name for himself in the Eredivisie. Antony is a right-winger by trade and started out with Sao Paulo in Brazil. He was signed by Ajax in 2020 and has made the most of this opportunity.
New year, same Antony π₯ https://t.co/vcKo9JeFGa
In his two years with the club, Antony has already registered 19 goals and 15 assists. He also made his debut for the Brazilian national team last year and has gone on to make five international appearances.
Congratulations, @Antony00! β¨
Our number ππ is the @Eredivisie Talent of the Month December. π₯
Antony would be a great option to replace Ousmane Dembele at Barcelona. As Antony is a young player, he certainly has a long way to go in his career and would greatly benefit from the mentorship of Xavi.
#4. Nicolas Pepe - Arsenal
Nicolas Pepe joined Arsenal in August of 2019 for a reported Β£72 million. The Ivorian arrived at the Emirates with expectations high as he became Arsenal's club-record signing at the time. In a way, Pepe and Dembele are victims of their own price tags, something they could never seem to live up to.
Pepe operates as a right-winger and displays excellent dribbling ability. His shooting is appreciable and he is also an excellent free-kick taker. Pepe's numbers are fairly decent as well. He has managed 26 goals and 20 assists in 100 appearances for the Gunners.
π₯Ά sportbible.com/football/news-β¦π£οΈ "I still back myself in what I said last year, Nico is the most talented player at the club when heβs on it"
Nicolas Pepe you are out of order. Two careers ended within 5 seconds! π π₯Ά sportbible.com/football/news-β¦
Pepe was originally meant to be a first-team player but has now found himself as a backup option owing to the emergence of English youngster Bukayo Saka. The Englishman is now the preferred option by coach Mikel Arteta, which has restricted Pepe's playing time.
Nicolas Pepe is making his mark at AFCON! β½οΈ
1 goal β
1 MOTM performance β
#Pepe #AFCON2021 #Arsenal https://t.co/3So1fIM93g
Pepe could be the answer to Barcelona's problems as he plays in the same position as Dembele and could provide a genuine attacking threat.