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After breaking through at Rennes at 18 years old, Ousmane Dembele was tipped for stardom, with subsequent big money moves to Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona at just 20 years old, but after many years of only showing flashes, many had given up on seeing Dembele reach the heights many predicted, however this season, he has finally hit those heights.
By the time Dembele was 20, he had already made at €15 million move to Borussia Dortmund and after just one season, helping them win the DFB Pokal, which then put him on the radar of all the top European clubs, which led to a €125 million move to Barcelona, where he was given added pressure to replace the outgoing Neymar.
Dembele showed much promise in his early years, with exceptional pace to go along with good dribbling, shooting technique and the ability to play at the top level with both feet, which made him so sought after having already recorded 34 goals and assists in 44 starts in his first two seasons in professional football.
With all the talent Dembele possessed, he never showed it consistently at Barcelona, often being criticised for possibility lacking the mentality to go along with his impeccable skillset, which is why he never had the full trust of any manager at the Camp Nou.
This, along with constant injury problems, meant Dembele never started more than 20 league games for Barcelona but also not match the numbers put up at Rennes and Dortmund as he never managed more than 14 goals and assists in a single league season.
Dembele did have some good moments for Barcelona, leading La Liga in assists in 2021/22 with 13 and helping them to 3 La Liga and 2 Copa Del Rey's in his 6 seasons and 185 appearances for the club.
Barcelona didn't willingly let Dembele go, a release clause in his contract allowed him to leave for PSG, which didn't go down too well in Barcelona, but again Dembele was replacing the outgoing Neymar, but this time in Paris.
Despite his move to Paris, he still didn't live up to all the hype in his first season, only starting 17 league games, boasting 11 goals and assists as his side, despite winning the league, were tame in their semi-final losses to Borussia Dortmund.
This season already, Dembele has beaten his best scoring tally in a single season, which came back in the 2018/19 season with 14 goals in 42 games, and in this season in just 28 games, Dembele has 23 goals, with 18 coming in his last 11 appearances.
This form has prompted great praise from current manager Luis Enrique:
"Back when I played PlayStation as a kid, he was the kind of player you'd choose when you needed someone to change the game."
"He was already good last season but in 2025 he is even better. You can see his teammates looking for him and finding him. He has an impeccable attitude."
During his career, Dembele has sometimes shown a lack of confidence and willingness to take his game to the next level, but at 27, with the utmost confidence, Dembele has realised his unique talents of using both feet, play across the front line, electric pace, great dribbling and ball striking can make him amongst the best in the world.
We all hope Dembele can carry on this form as it shows people that it takes time for players to break through, not every player can be world class at 22 years old, and it takes time for players to reach their prime, and that Dembele, being the best he has ever been at 27 years old is normal for players to be in their prime.
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