He arrived to Barcelona five years ago as an immature kid and went through injuries, doubts, and even insults – but Ousmane Dembele is now enjoying his best time with the Catalan club.Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, the 25-year-old Frenchman said that the last six months of last season and the encouraging start of the current one give him a great feeling about Barca’s future.”This campaign started very well on a personal level. The atmosphere in the dressing room is excellent. I’m happy to work with the coach and his staff. I’m enjoying football. Since Xavi arrived, I’ve been living my best moments at Barca.”Ousmane Dembélé: “My first three years here were very difficult. The injuries, the games. I had a good day and then a bad day. I think that’s life.” [sport] #fcblive pic.twitter.com/k66AVPL7TA— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 5, 2022 The former Rennes and Borussia Dortmund winger didn’t have a good time with injuries, but that was partly his fault. He didn’t understand that, as a top-level athlete, he has to put in extra work outside the pitch to keep his body in perfect condition to avoid injuries.”If you don’t work off the field you will surely get injured. It happened to me before. Now, I know better, and I’m stronger. I arrived at Barca when I was 20 years old. I had only been a professional for a year and a half – six months at Rennes and a year at Dortmund – and I didn’t see it that way. I was too young.”##NAJAVA_MECA_6624787##All of last season, there were widespread rumours that Barcelona wouldn’t be able to keep the player they paid $154 million in 2017. It was an expensive investment, but it looked like it would become nothing but a waste in case Dembele departed the club as a free agent. Fans shouted at him, telling him to either extend his contract or to get out of their sight. But he says he remained professional throughout that time – and that he never wanted to leave.”I always told Xavi that I wanted to stay. I never even spoke to other clubs, and I told my representatives that remaining a Barcelona player was my only option. I dedicated myself to be focused on the field and playing. During that time, I was convinced I would sign a new contract with Barcelona because Xavi and president Joan Laporta always gave me nothing but good vibes.”##EDITORS_CHOICE##With the contractual saga behind him, Dembele is focused on playing well in Xavi’s system and getting even more than the 13 assists he got last season. One of his primary duties will be to provide new signing Robert Lewandowski with ammunition.”The first time we met, Lewa told me ‘you’ll give me a bunch of assists’. I hope there are many. Robert is excellent, we see it every day in training. And he is a very good guy. He always laughs, he talks a lot with everyone. He is 34 years old, he has a lot of experience, and there are a lot of young players here, for the team he is a leader.”Do you think we (the press) have been too harsh with you, Ousmane?Dembélé: “I don’t want to comment on that. I’m concentrated on playing well. You’re always going to get criticized in life. Not everyone can like you.” pic.twitter.com/HaFgRR8JiH— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) September 6, 2022 Even though Ousmane’s good friend and former BVB teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left the club to join Chelsea, the French international is delighted with competition for places.”Auba wants to play regularly, and the transfer was also good for Barca’s finances. It’s a shame he left. I’ll go to London to see him. But there are still many good players here. I like competition, and if we want to win, we have to have a good squad. There are many good forwards, Robert, Ansu Fati, Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Memphis Depay. That competition for places is great for the team because the best will play.”Robert Benzema or Karim Lewandowski? This is crazy, but two legends have nothing but the same UCL numbersThe season has started, the transfer window is finished, the contract is signed. All that’s left now is for Dembele to show that he’s no longer a confused boy but a man his team can count on.
