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Barça fans decide on whether Griezmann and Dembélé should stay or be sold

Published

6 years ago

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Photo via Imago

In a poll conducted on twitter by Barca Universal, fans were given the opportunity to vote on the future of two players in the squad: Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembélé.

The duo of French players are the two most expensive signings in Barcelona’s history, both players costing upwards of €120m. Unfortunately, both of them have enjoyed difficult starts to their Blaugrana careers. With luck seeming against them, they have also struggled to find form with consistency.

Griezmann was signed in the summer of 2019, after Bartomeu’s board had tried and failed to do so the year prior. In a move that seemed sketchy to many, especially after the Frenchman’s documentary on staying in Atletico Madrid in 2018, the World Cup winner finally arrived in the Catalan capital, hoping to make history.

However, the French striker’s levels dropped tremendously in his first campaign with Barça, failing to emulate his world-class self from Atletico, or even in the France National Team. Le Petit Prince bagged only 15 goals and 4 assists; by no means is this a poor haul.

However, given the expectations Griezmann carried on his shoulders adding to the jaw-dropping price tag, it felt like the Catalans would not achieve the return on investment they so hoped for.

Nonetheless, as the saying goes: form is temporary, class is permanent. In what had started as a difficult campaign for the former Atleti player, Griezmann seems to have turned his fortunes around totally this year. He has become one of the highest performing footballers in the world, with a combined goals and assists tally of 22; this number is the third-highest of any footballer in the world.

The 30-year-old has also scored some crucial goals this season. He scored three goals in two finals for the Catalans, while also bagging a massive brace against Villarreal this past Sunday, keeping Barça ahead in the title race.

While the Frenchman’s intelligent positioning, ability to play with his back to goal, and unmatched work ethic has always been valuable, it seems that his most important trait is finally returning to his already dexterous locker of skills: goalscoring.

The fans have definitely taken note of Griezmann’s year-long surge in form, as the poll tipped comfortably in his favour. On Twitter, Barca Universal asked “Should Barcelona sell Antoine Griezmann in the summer?” The response was positively in favour of keeping the World Cup winner, with 71% votes coming in his favour, while 29% of fans believe he should still be sold.

Contrastingly, his fellow French and club teammate Ousmane Dembélé seems to have failed to convince fans online, as a similar poll did not favour his fortunes.

Dembélé was signed in August 2017, and he was Barça’s first-ever transfer that cost above €100m. Naturally, expectations were massive for the French speedster. At the time, he had come off a stunning campaign with Borussia Dortmund, lighting up the Bundesliga in the previous season.

In an increasingly modern landscape of football that is breeding more and more system, passing-based footballers, Dembélé was a breath of fresh air, with an unbelievable ability to attempt ‘take ons’ with opposing defenders.

Unfortunately, what should have turned out to be a fairytale transfer for the then 19-year-old winger soon turned into a grim nightmare, as one injury after another led to – virtually – three long, suffocating years on the sideline.

Only after Ronald Koeman’s tenure began has the Frenchman enjoyed some sense of longevity and importance donning the Blaugrana badge. In the three seasons before, the former Dortmund player had missed a staggering 80 games due to injuries.

Such long spells on the sideline meant that the young starlet was unable to develop his maturity as a player. Being a Barça player requires not only individual talent but two key traits: understanding the pace of the game, when to slow the playdown and when to speed it up, as well as positional intelligence and the ability to play the ball in tight spaces.

When Dembouz was signed, it was evident that he was an unpolished diamond. At 20 years of age, he had shown enough talent to convince the upper echelons of Barça that he deserved a place here. It was taken for granted that the Frenchman would continue to develop and mature as a player.

However, his injuries curtailed him from doing just that, leaving a 23-year-old version of Dembélé that has barely managed to change his maturity or tactical understanding of the game as the young teenager who arrived in Catalan three years prior.

While under Koeman, the French speedster has well and truly disciplined himself and improved physically, it is this lack of end product and maturity that has left fans unconvinced of his future here. In fact, the 23-year-old has played 1,501 minutes in La Liga but has only managed to create three big chances.

Even Ansu Fati who has been out on injury since November has managed more with four. In fact, benchwarmer Martin Braithwaite is also level with the French winger on big chances created, even though he has played 414 minutes less.

On our poll on twitter which questioned whether he should be sold in the coming transfer window, 57.7% of fans voted ‘Yes’.

Whether Dembélé finally ends up being sold is yet to be seen, as reports have come out that contract talks have currently been stalled. However, it is widely believed that club president Joan Laporta is a huge fan of the young speedster and is keen to keep him in the club for many years.

In addition, if Dembélé can maintain his physical fitness, we believe the saying ‘it’s never too late’ fits his context perfectly. At only 23 years of age, the French winger has several years to continue growing and evolving as a player for this club.

Having displayed his talent several times at his time in the Camp Nou — albeit inconsistently — the Frenchman can surely still improve and potentially become a key player for the Blaugranas in the years to come.

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