Why Barcelona should sell Ousmane Dembele sooner rather than later

According to Spanish media outlet AS (h/t Bleacherreport), Barcelona are keen to offload French winger Ousmane Dembele.

The Catalan side seem to have run out of patience with the winger, who arrived at Camp Nou back in 2017 for a whopping £135.5million as a replacement for Brazilian Neymar.

However, Dembele failed to live up to the hype after spending more time outside the pitch due to constant injuries. Since his arrival, Dembele has suffered as many as ten injuries that has seen him make just 51 La Liga appearances to date.

Dembele, who has 12 goals to his name at the club so far, is currently out after sustaining a hamstring injury and won’t make a return until August this year. A potential star in the making, Dembele has been offered several chances but time and again, the Frenchman has failed to impress.

This has been Dembele’s worst ever season, having managed just nine appearances from a possible 37 games across all competitions. The 2018-19 season was his most decent campaign for the Catalonian side, where he played 29 league games. However, he managed just 8 goals and 5 assists.

Meanwhile, in his maiden season with Barcelona, he played 17 league games and scored just three goals, raising a few eyebrows due to his big-money arrival. In all the three seasons, the player has never managed to stay fit as injuries seem to be his constant companion.

Having impressed at a very young age for his former club Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, there was no questioning his talent. He played only a single season at the German club but became an instant hit after scoring 10 goals and 22 assists in 50 games.

However, it seems to be a thing of the past now as the French winger never managed to emulate his earlier feat since arriving in Spain. Also, now with the likes of academy graduate Ansu Fati growing up and displaying some potential, Dembele seems like a liability rather than an asset.

Moreover, Dembele’s teammate Antoine Griezmann arrived this summer, putting his place in serious jeopardy. The French striker has also been pretty good until now, scoring 8 goals and giving 4 assists from 26 matches.

Given the fact that Dembele has spent more time on the sidelines than on the pitch, it would be wise of the Catalonians to let go of him.

Read more:

• Why Barcelona should avoid signing Juventus star Douglas Costa in the summer
• Why Barcelona are right in handing fresh terms to Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
• Why Barcelona have made a good future signing in Francisco Trincao

Verdict

Dembele’s unavailability is a real cause of concern for Barcelona given the amount they had splashed on him. Considering his performance and the big-money wage he carries, Dembele is just surplus to their requirements at the moment. Hence, Barcelona should consider selling him sooner than later.