Why Ousmane Dembele is more needed for Barcelona than ever before

Barcelona manager Xavi recently said that he would sign Ousmane Dembele’s contract at once if he could and also claimed he has the potential to become one of the best wingers in the world.

Dembele’s fellow attacking partners Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres have also backed to extend his stay at Camp Nou.

It shows how much the Frenchman has turned things around since his contract refusal in January, which had led to his exclusion for a certain number of games, and most importantly losing the support of the fans.

Xavi is the man responsible for Dembele’s upturn as he constantly believed in his potential, and in turn, the French man didn’t disappoint either.

The former Borussia Dortmund star is arguably enjoying his best season yet with Barca, racking up a goal and 11 assists in La Liga. 

In addition, he has been instrumental in the Catalan giants climbing up to the second in the table from a struggling position and reaching the final four of the Europa League – courtesy of a stellar run since February under Xavi.

From being dubbed as a big-money failure and injury-prone to becoming the best player in Barca’s attack, Dembele’s resurgence has been nothing but extraordinary.

The best player claim might surprise many due to Aubameyang’s impressive goal-scoring form – 10 goals in 14 games.

Torres also boasts better goal-scoring numbers than Dembele, but without the Frenchman, Barca’s attack would be far from perfect.

It was evident during the recent games against Frankfurt and Levante. Dembele started on the bench during the first leg of Europa League’s quarter-final against Frankfurt, and the Catalans struggled to make their presence felt and were more error-prone for much of the time.

However, Dembele’s substitution in the second half changed the course of the game as Barca managed to find the equaliser.

Against Levante last night, where Barca were found far from their best, Dembele’s performance was outstanding, eventually helping the Catalan giants to a thrilling 3-2 comeback win.

The 24-year-old constantly troubled his marker with his pace and trickery, and he also set up Aubameyang’s equaliser at the start of the second half.

The clamour for Dembele to start in every game has been growing of late, which shows how much of a difference-maker he has become – another best instance was his masterful display against Real Madrid in El Clasico.

Barca are looking for a runners-up finish in La Liga as well as getting their hands at Europa League, and these are really possible with Dembele.

But the Blaugrana have to keep an eye on their long-term goals, one of which is Dembele’s contract extension.

Barca can undoubtedly challenge for more trophies and reinstate their status as one of Europe’s best next season with a player like Dembele at the heart of their attack.

The La Liga giants remain optimistic about his renewal, with the negotiations set to continue in the coming weeks.