He has finally graced the hallowed grounds of the Camp Nou.
Barcelona have a new star in the form of young French winger Ousmane Dembele. The man tasked with replacing the sensational exit of Neymar.
Can he deliver?
Hold the press, pump the brakes.
That's the big mistake that Barcelona fans will make if they really think Dembele is a replacement for Neymar. The man who is now the most expensive footballer in the world and is already making a mockery of Ligue 1.
Dembele is a very talented young footballer who cannot in any way shape or form emulate Neymar. And the truth is not many players in the world can and that shouldn't be what Dembele is expected to do.
His debut against Espanyol was him feeling out the team and just gauging how they play and how he can fit in. It wasn't the most explosive first appearance, but he already showed how he can help Barcelona become a powerful force this season.
His pass to the Cannibal was inch-perfect, and impeccably timed. All that needed to be done was make the right contact and it would be a goal ten times out of ten. That is what Barcelona have been missing with the loss of Dani Alves...service.
Dembele may have scored a foray of goals for Dortmund and shown his great attacking skill to get into goalscoring opportunities. But the man is a winger by trade and Valverde has brought him in to fulfill that role.
Don't be mistaken. Valverde does not strike me as a stupid man and he will not want to restrict the incredible talent that his new player has.
So he will want to remove the shackles from Dembele and allow him to weave through two players and smack that ball into the top corner, which he has the ability to do and I expect to see him display in La Liga this season.
However, Dembele brings in a quality that Deulofeuo, the who he can actually replace, cannot. That is putting in perfect crosses, and getting himself in positions to make Barcelona more deadly in the counter attack.
The key is to allow the kid to express himself. He has the speed, the control, the skill and the ability to move forward with swiftness whilst hopping over challenges. This gives Barcelona greater velocity when attacking and evolves their football.
That's why Neymar should not even be mentioned when talking about Dembele. Barcelona are heading into new territory and their football has to do the same as well. Dembele is the one who will help forge that new path as his style of play is very different from Neymar's.
Remember those saying Barcelona were in a decline and would struggle this season?
Ousmane might have a few little things to say about that.
HH
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