In a recent report, Sport has revealed that Barcelona are hoping to cash in on Ousmane Dembele during the January transfer window. It is understood that the Catalans would be willing to accept a fee in excess of €50m for their prized asset when the transfer window reopens at the start of next year (via Sport).
Dembele’s Mounting Injury Struggles In Spanish Football
The French speedster has currently got just over a year and a half left to run on his contract at the Nou Camp which is why Barca are looking to cut their losses and sell him this winter. So far, Dembele has endured an injury-ravaged spell with the Catalans as he has struggled to show a clean bill of health since arriving from Borussia Dortmund back in 2017.
The Vernon-born wing wizard has gone on to make 75 appearances for the Spanish giants, scoring 19 goals and providing 16 assists in multiple competitions. Despite all his injury concerns, he has done remarkably well to remain consistent in terms of his overall contributions in the attacking third after he averaged 1.0 shots, 1.6 key passes and 2.8 dribbles per game in the 2019-20 La Liga season. He also interchanged possession relatively well with his teammates out on the wide areas as evident from his pass completion rate of 78% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
The 23-year-old is about to embark upon the peak stage of his playing career, so it’s high time for him to make a fresh start away from the Nou Camp where he has failed to live up to the growing expectations surrounding his move to Spain.
What Does The French Winger Bring To The Table?
Dembele is a decent crosser of the ball and can be an unstoppable force when he is driving at full speed towards the opposition penalty box. When he is playing with confidence, he can be a deadly presence in the final third as he has got the pace and dribbling ability to cause all kinds of problems for the opposition defenders.
However, the 21-time French international needs to overcome his recent injury worries if he intends to unlock his true potential in the years to come. At the moment, he is a sporadic presence in Ronald Koeman’s squad due to his injury-prone nature.
Is Ronald Koeman Making The Right Call By Planning To Sell Dembele In January?
It makes sense for both the player and the Catalan club to part ways with each other in search of greener pastures this winter. Barca need to cash in on Dembele and make room for some incoming transfers in the future so that Koeman has a strong squad capable of challenging for both the UEFA Champions League and La Liga crowns in the coming seasons. It seems like Dembele is currently living on borrowed time at the Nou Camp, so the Catalans are making the right call by deciding to move him on in January.
