Ousmane Dembélé moved to Barcelona at 20 in a nine-figure transfer and struggled with injuries and off-field issues, scoring 24 La Liga goals in 127 appearances over six seasons. He returned to France with Paris Saint-Germain for a €50m move, scoring six goals in 42 appearances as PSG won a domestic double in his first year. In his second season he scored a career-high 35 goals, helped PSG win their first Champions League, and supplied two assists in a 5-0 final win over Inter Milan. Luis Enrique's trust and leadership responsibilities transformed his role into one emphasizing team play and decision-making.
He explained to me at the start of the season that I had to be a leader in this team to set an example, both to the young players and the old ones. He didn't tell me to be selfish, quite the opposite. He told me that when you're in front of goal, if you can't shoot and there's someone better positioned than you, then you have to pass.
The 28-year-old scored a career-high 35 goals as PSG claimed their maiden Champions League title, while also defending their Ligue 1 and Coupe de France trophies. Dembele provided two assists in a 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final, helping install him as the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or later this year, with FourFourTwo ranking him at no.3 in a list of the world's best strikers earlier this summer.
Collection
[
|
...
]