Ousmane Dembele (foto: Getty Images)
Ousmane Dembele's statistics remain empty after his first seven appearances for Paris Saint-Germain.
After playing seven matches for PSG, Ousmane Dembélé has yet to make a significant impact, recording neither a goal nor an assist. On Tuesday night, the French international failed to shine against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Signed from FC Barcelona for 50 million euros during the summer transfer window, Dembélé is a captivating player with a promising connection with teammates Kylian Mbappé and Randal Kolo Muani.
However, since joining PSG, the 2018 World Cup champion hasn't lived up to the expectations set by the club's management and coach Luis Enrique. On Tuesday, "Dembouz" started on the right wing for PSG, but his performance lacked precision in the final third, continuing his non-decisive streak in the French capital.
Despite this, Luis Enrique remained optimistic after the match, defending his player. "If I were a fan of any team, I'd pay to watch him play. He possesses unique qualities. He might miss a few times, but he's a magical player. He's probably eager to score his first goal, but it's a normal process," said the PSG coach in a post-match press conference.
However, not everyone is as forgiving towards Dembélé, who was expected to fill the void left by the departures of Neymar and Lionel Messi. Jérôme Rothen, present at Parc des Princes on Tuesday, reviewed the match on RMC.
Rothen expects more from Dembélé. The former PSG left midfielder believes Dembélé's performances have been underwhelming since joining the club. "
With Dembélé, I'm always left wanting more. He does some good things and can be unpredictable for any opponent. He's fast on the flanks, but the question is: what does he achieve? On Tuesday, he had almost no opportunities, and he rarely acts on his first instinct. However, I was reassured by the quality of his second half, where he sometimes played with one or two touches," analyzed Rothen.
He hopes that Enrique will harness Dembélé's talent and flair for the benefit of the PSG team. There's still work to be done.