€130million Barcelona forward convinced Xavi the right man to help him develop

Ousmane Dembele has had a torrid time since at Barcelona. Since joining the Catalans back in 2017 from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth around €130million, including bonuses, the Frenchman has largely struggled to live up to the billing due to recurring injury problems.

Dembele, to date, has missed almost the same number of matches that he has played for Barcelona in his four-year stint. With him being in the final year of his contract with the club, speculations over his future have refused to go away.

However, recent reports claimed that the 24-year-old had decided to continue at Camp Nou and had informed his agents to sort out the new contract at the earliest.

Having made up his mind to stay put at Barcelona, Dembele is now very much excited to work with newly-appointed manager Xavi Hernandez, according to journalist Helena Condis.

Xavi was handed over the reins of the club this past week, following the sacking of Ronald Koeman. The 41-year-old was officially presented on Monday as he takes on the challenge of leading Barca back to glory.

The club legend’s appointment has been met with approval from the fans. And, it seems like the feeling is similar within the dressing room as well, with Dembele, for one, believed to be excited to get working with the 2010 FIFA World Cup winner.

As reported by Helena Condis, the Frenchman sees Xavi as someone who can help him develop himself in the same way as Thomas Tuchel had done during his days at Borussia Dortmund.

For that to happen, however, Dembele will need to stay fit for a prolonged period and make himself available for selection. Having picked up an injury during the Euros, he made his first appearance of the season for Barcelona earlier this month against Dynamo Kyiv and got injured yet again.

While there is no denying the talent and the potential he possesses, Dembele has been very unlucky with fitness and injuries. He will be hoping to leave all that behind and get his career back on track under the tutelage of his new boss, Xavi.