Barcelona star linked with Arsenal
Arsenal are after Ousmane Dembélé in order to appease new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
According to Don Balon, the Gunners are planning a €60 million move for Dembélé in the summer. The French forward has struggled with injuries in his first season at Barcelona, which has derailed his progress. There is a theory that these injuries are partially caused by the stress of delivering on his price tag and replacing Neymar. This makes sense because he is the third most expensive footballer ever at only 20-years-old; Barcelona also have high standards for every player due to the expectations for silverware every season.
Arsenal are hoping that his inability to live up to expectations so far might lead Barcelona to cash on him in the belief that he is a flop. However, this is unlikely considering how much he cost as well as it going against what Ernesto Valverde is publicly stating. The Barcelona manager has exuded patience in regards to the young Frenchman.
Valverde clearly has plans for him in regards to the current shape of the team and their style of play. He likes to use a hybrid 4-4-2/4-3-3 formation in order to control games and stifle the opposition. Dembélé’s role is on the right side of midfield from where he could transition into a winger or inside forward when attacking. His 1v1 ability stretches teams horizontally which reduces the congestion in midfield for key players such as Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta.
Aubameyang and Dembélé worked together well at Dortmund which is why the Gabonese striker would like to be reunited with him. The Frenchman was the chief creative outlet for the Westphalian side; his proficiency with both feet worked well with Aubameyang’s electric movement in the box. This understanding allowed them to terrorise opposition defences in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
Where would he fit in?
He is highly unlikely to move to Arsenal, but his versatility would be extremely useful if he did. He can play on either wing due to being good with both feet. His vision allows him to thrive in the final third because he is able to unlock the opposition defence. However, his dribbling ability means he can drive from deep as well. His balance and ability to change direction quickly makes him a hard player to stop at top speed.
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Dembélé would be effective at stretching the width of the opposition while Aubameyang is effective at stretching teams vertically. Having these two in the team would give either Mesut Ozil or Henrikh Mkhitaryan plenty of space to work in. Therefore, it would be a great combination due to the variety of threats. However, the Gunners would be a step down for him and he gets to work with the best player in the world at Barcelona. It seems like it will, at least, be a few years before he or the club even considers parting ways.