Name: Ousmane Dembele
Nationality: French
Current Club: Stade Rennais Football Club
Position: Winger
Height: 5’10”
Age: 18
As Liverpool fans saw Daniel Sturridge sprint to the crowd in celebration after poking home the semi-final winning goal vs. a scrappy Villarreal side, there was only one issue now occupying all of their minds: winning the Europa League Final in Basel.
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While that one match against two-time defending champions Sevilla (four titles total) is the top priority and a massive, and potentially historic, moment, the summer transfer window is indeed right around the corner and Liverpool scouts have their sights set on securing top talent for Jurgen Klopp. One name that has been mentioned in the same breath as several top clubs, including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Barcelona, has also been identified as a top target for Klopp. That is Rennes sensational teenager, Ousmane Dembele. Although it will, undoubtedly, be difficult to secure the “wonder kid’s” signature, it would be well worth the time and effort to try and lure him to Anfield.
Club Career
The boy from Vernon, Eure, France began his footballing career at AM Madeleine Evreux in 2004 at just seven years of age. While developing within their academy for five years, Dembele made the jump to Évreux FC in 2009 where he continued to hone his skills, impress his coaches and make a name for himself.
After the 2009-2010 campaign, Dembele moved to the Rennes Academy and continued to develop with the French side for next next four seasons. While dominating the competition at times, loads of European interest began to surround the youngster, however Dembele eventually signed a new deal to stay in France and work his way up to the senior team.
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In November of 2015, Dembele made his full debut for Rennes in a match vs. Bordeaux. Not only did the 18 year old score on his debut, but Dembele has since gone on to tally 11 goals in just 23 league appearances this season (seven goals in his last nine games), upping his tally to 12 league goals total and earning the title of leading scorer for his club. A truly remarkable feat for such a young player.
His clear progressions at the club level throughout the years shows what type of player he could become. Although people should never overrate a kid this young, Ousmane Dembele seems like a remarkable talent with an unlimited ceiling of potential.
International Career
Dembele’s breakout season and recent progressions certainly has put him name on the European map, but it has also piqued the interest of the French Football Federation. Over the last three seasons, Dembele has worked his way up from the France U17 squad to the U18s, U19s and currently the U21 team.
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Although the youngster hasn’t received his first call-up to the French National Team, he will be hoping for a spectacular call-up for the 2016 Euro. If he doesn’t receive the call, his first cap with the national side shouldn’t be too long after.
Style of Play & Strengths
To put it simply, Dembele has pace. It truly is phenomenal watching him attack down the flanks, cut back to the middle of the pitch and cause massive headaches for opposing defenders. Combine that with his technical abilities on the ball and that’s how the youngster has been so dominant this season.
So far, according to WhoScored, Dembele has registered an average of 4.3 dribbles per game in his 2015-16 campaign. He loves having the ball at his feet and making things happen. Comparatively speaking, Liverpool’s James Milner and Adam Lallana average a mere 1.3 and 1.1 dribbles per game respectively, nowhere near the teenage sensation.
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Along with his on-the-ball skills, Dembele separates himself from being a “good” player to being a “great” player by producing an end product, something that has been lacking at times from wingers/attackers at Anfield. In just 24 appearances in 2015-16, he has registered 12 goals and 5 assists which is a wonderful output for someone in their first year of top flight football. This can be attributed to his fearless attitude and sense of confidence that doesn’t look possible to shatter.
Unlike some attackers who are known to be poachers, Dembele has a flare for the dramatic. Again, assisted by his sense of confidence in his own abilities, he is not afraid to have a go from anywhere on the pitch. Whether it be free kicks or in the flow of the match, Dembele is always looking to energize the players and fans with a wonder-strike.
Of course, as I mentioned earlier, youngsters that show great potential often get overrated too early. Although I do not believe this is the case with Ousmane Dembele, someone who receives this high of praise this early in their career may crumble under the pressure. According to former French Defender Silvestre, Dembele has “shades of Ronaldo” in his game. “I saw Cristiano Ronaldo when he arrived at Manchester United at the same age. Ousmane shows similar attributes. He reminds me of Cristiano and Wayne Rooney too. They both had great potential and great maturity which meant they quickly became important to the team.” Now that is a lot to live up to in my opinion.
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Weaknesses
Ousmane Dembele has decent height to him for a winger; however his frame is a tad fragile. Although this may be an early concern in the physical Premier League, his body will mature over time which should eliminate this as a red flag.
Without a doubt, the teenagers’ offensive skills would fit Klopp’s system very well; however his defensive contributions certainly would need to pick up. According to WhoScored, Dembele averages a mere 0.8 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game compared to Milner’s 1.5 and 1.7 respectively along with Lallana’s 1.9 tackles per game. If he wants to become a staple in Klopp’s side, his defensive effort will have to improve drastically.
Lastly, he completes just 71% of his passes, according to WhoScored. For an attacker in Klopp’s system, this is far too low. Again, compared to Lallana (79.3%), Milner (77.2%) and Coutinho (78.3%), Dembele seems to fall just short. This could be attributed to his youth and lack of concentration for a full match, but regardless it would need to be tightened up as quickly as possible.
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Overall
Some things we know about Jurgen Klopp are obvious. He loves high energy players, the squad will press until they can’t press any longer and, most importantly in this case, he loves developing top young talent. Now, to be brutally honest, the task of securing his signature will be monumental, but if there’s anyone that can pull it off, it would be Mr. Klopp.
Even at the ripe age of 18, Dembele could step in to several, if not a high majority, of attacks right now and make the squad better. Although I see his immediate future in Germany at Borussia Dortmund, I hope Klopp and the Liverpool scouts take a page out of their own book and go on a full press to sign this young man. Either way, an exciting summer is sure to come!
Written By: Michael Pietrzak
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