The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Ousmane Dembélé
If you’d told any Barcelona fan in 2020 that Ousmane Dembélé would one day be among the world’s best at Paris Saint-Germain, you’d have raised eyebrows. Back then, Dembélé’s name was mostly followed by a sigh. He arrived in Spain with huge hype and an even bigger transfer fee—Barcelona forked out a staggering €148 million right after Neymar’s dramatic exit. Expectations ballooned fast, but the letdowns came even quicker.
Dembélé’s Barcelona years read like a cautionary tale. The injuries started almost immediately, keeping him off the pitch for months at a time. When he did play, things rarely clicked. It’s wild to realize he only bagged 24 goals across six seasons. For that price tag, the Spanish press—never shy about their opinions—labeled him as one of the club’s biggest transfer mistakes. The frustration for fans reached its boiling point in August 2023, when he jumped ship to PSG for less than one-third of his original price. If you listened closely in Barcelona, you could almost hear the collective groan. Some even saw that transfer as outright betrayal.
A Rocky Start at PSG—and a Remarkable Turnaround
There’s nothing magical about the PSG dressing room. Just ask Dembélé, who found history repeating itself in Paris. Luis Enrique, PSG’s boss, didn’t waste time laying down the law. In October 2023, Dembélé found himself benched ahead of a big match against Arsenal—not because of injury, but for failing to meet the disciplined mindset the club expects. For a minute, it looked like the French winger might let another golden opportunity go.
But something clicked. Instead of sulking on the sidelines, he got to work. Under Enrique’s strict coaching, Dembélé started adapting his style. No more aimless dribbles or risky plays out wide. He shifted toward a more central role, learned to time his runs, and cut out a lot of the chaos that plagued him in Spain. By 2025, the numbers told a totally different story: he was directly involved in 31 goals, with 25 of those coming straight from his own boots. That’s more than anyone else in Europe’s top leagues that season.
The real statement came on Europe’s biggest stage. PSG squared off against Dembélé’s old club, Barcelona, in the Champions League quarter-finals. All eyes were on him, and he delivered—scoring in both legs. That 5-3 aggregate win shut down a lot of former critics. And it didn’t stop there. In the 2024 Coupe de France final, Dembélé struck early against Lyon to help PSG take home another trophy.
With Ligue 1 and Coupe de France medals in the bag—and more importantly, a place as PSG’s go-to attacker—Dembélé is now seen as a front-runner for Ballon d'Or. He’s no longer the wonderkid with wasted potential. The number 10 shirt, once owned by Neymar, fits him now both literally and in spirit. Enrique, the coach who once benched him, is now singing his praises to the press, crediting Dembélé’s turnaround to serious hard work and personal growth.
Dembélé’s story isn’t just about stats or trophies. It’s about the rare sight of a high-profile player bouncing back after everyone counted him out. He faced intense criticism, battled injury nightmares, and came out on top, proving that with grit and the right mindset, even football’s most expensive flops can write their own redemption script. With PSG chasing Champions League glory and Dembélé leading from the front, the story’s not finished yet.
