Some things never change, and those invariable things can sometimes be very unfortunate. That’s the exact case of Ousmane Dembélé. He sustained yet another injury, ruling him out for not only the rest of Euro 2020. But quite possibly the beginning of the 21/22 season. And that’s supposing he is still at the club by then, which is not a given.
Barça fans have become accustomed to Ousmane’s struggles, and this one is no surprise. Natural exposure to injuries has undoubtedly played its part, especially in this case, and so has the fact that the man simply cannot buy any luck, but that can’t be the whole deal. Surely there is a lack of professionalism that prevents him from consistently playing undeterred by such setbacks. Some of the world’s best players have had similar struggles in the past, yet many of them have managed to gradually reduce that proneness. You do feel bad for Dembélé, but you can’t not wonder whether he himself is part of the problem.
But what about his future at Barcelona? The situation was complex enough already, with Ousmane reportedly in no rush to initiate negotiations on the extension of his current contract, which expires in 2022. If the summer went on without both parties showing any progress on the matter, the board would have definitely looked to offload the Frenchman, but the knee injury that he’s sustained will make it tough to find many suitors.
After a season without injuries
Though the past season was an improvement on Dembélé’s part, it doesn’t warrant him a spot in the team, let alone better contract terms. He has still shown significant flaws in his game that don’t match up with a player worth over a hundred million. Personally, I would have sold the Frenchman irrespective of his injury. However, that will now definitely bring down the fee that other clubs will offer for Ousmane, which could be detrimental to the club’s transfer plans. In any case, it’s still an unfortunate event for the 24-year-old. Get well soon, Ousmane @o.dembele7 !
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