"When Ousmane Dembele arrived at Barcelona for a nine-figure fee to replace Neymar in the summer of 2017, the hype was palpable. The French star, who had just turned 20, was quickly dubbed a future Ballon d'Or winner and heir apparent to Lionel Messi, but after a debut which saw him provide an assist following a cameo off the bench, he suffered a hamstring injury in his first LaLiga start, ruling him out for four months."
"It was complicated, especially as I was coming to the club after just 18 months as a professional, with six months at Rennes and then a year at Dortmund. You arrive at 20 years old in a locker room like Barcelona with all the stars, with all the players I dreamed of playing for... it was just exceptional. Afterwards, you had to adapt. I wasn't lucky for three or four years with injuries."
"I am happy with everything that happened at Barcelona, because that's really where I grew as a person, both on the pitch and off it, he continues. I also made a lot of friends in Barcelona, with whom I still talk a lot. So it was just an exceptional time for me and, above all, it was a time of learning."
Ousmane Dembélé joined Barcelona in summer 2017 for a nine-figure fee to replace Neymar, arriving at age 20 amid high expectations. He provided an assist on debut but suffered a hamstring injury in his first LaLiga start that sidelined him for four months. The first three seasons at Barcelona were stop-start, including a 2019-20 campaign with just five league appearances, as injuries repeatedly disrupted his progress. He described difficulties adapting to a star-studded locker room, endured several injury-plagued years, gradually increased his playing time, formed lasting friendships, and said the experience fostered personal and professional growth before his 2023 exit.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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