Why Ousmane Dembele to Man City would be a match made in heaven
According to Spanish outlet El Desmarque (h/t Daily Mail), Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele has spoken to Manchester City. The Frenchman seems to have had talks without his club’s notice, as he desperately looks for an exit from the Spanish champions.
However, the list does not end here, with Dembele contacting Chelsea as well as French champions Paris Saint Germain in an attempt to revive his career, which has so far been marred by injuries, the report claims.
The 22-year old never looked quite settled at Camp Nou since making his £89.5million move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017.
However, it has not been the best of beginnings for the youngster, as he contracted a hamstring problem that kept him out for more than five months. Most recently, he suffered his third muscle injury of the season, thereby staying out of action for 10 weeks.
With injuries taking a toll, the young winger has so far managed just five appearances this season and has scored only one goal.
Brought in as a successor for former Barcelona man Neymar, Dembele has failed to live up to the hype, after his high-profile signing made him the sixth most expensive footballer in history, the report added.
Meanwhile, defending champions Man City are not in the best of positions as they sit third in the league table – 14 points short of leaders Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola’s side, who have looked potent in the attack in the past few years, have suffered a few slip-ups midway through the season, which has widened the gap between them and Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.
However, they are the side who have scored the most number of goals in the league this season – 44 from 16 matches, and many have come from the boots of in-form winger Raheem Sterling.
The 24-year-old has grown into a major threat in front of goal under Guardiola and has scored 8 goals in the league already this season. He is only second behind City’s top-scorer Sergio Aguero, who meanwhile has 9 goals to his name.
He has been simply superb in the Champions League too, netting in 5 goals from as many matches. His impressive displays in the attack have caught the attention of La Liga giants Real Madrid, who are clearly interested in signing the talented forward, according to The Guardian.
Apart from Sterling, the Cityzens have just one more left-winger in their ranks, and that is Leroy Sane. The German, like Dembele, has mostly been injured since arriving at the Etihad. Sane has found it difficult to adjust to the English conditions and has so far made just 1 appearance this season.
Since his move from FC Schalke in 2016, he has suffered 5 major injuries, the latest one being a cruciate ligament rupture, which would keep him on the sidelines until the end of this year.
Read more:
- Why City should simply splash the cash to seal Sterling’s future
- Why signing Upamecano could offer City some stability at the back
- Why Mikel Oyarzabal would be a perfect Sane replacement at Man City
With him failing to make an impact, and Sterling attracting interests, a move for Dembele to City could be one which would be beneficial for both parties. Dembele might turn out to be the man to win Manchester City the Premier League again.
Verdict
An unsuccessful campaign in Barcelona has left Dembele frustrated and a move elsewhere would do a world of good for him.
Moreover, a huge talent like Dembele joining City would offer Guardiola more options in the attack and at the same time, it would provide the Frenchman with a chance to revive his career once again. Hence, Dembele to Man City would be a match made in heaven.