14 Goals in 9 Games: Has the Real Dembélé Finally Arrived?

Ousmane Dembélé may go down as one of Barcelona’s most disappointing signings. Brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a blockbuster €135 million (£112m/$139m) in 2017 to replace Neymar, he never came close to replicating the Brazilian’s impact. The hefty price tag became a burden, and his time at Camp Nou was plagued by inconsistency and injuries.

Over six underwhelming seasons, Dembélé managed just 24 La Liga goals and missed more than 100 games due to fitness issues. Eventually, Barcelona cut their losses, selling him to Paris Saint-Germain for just €50m (£42m/$51m), a deal that highlighted the Spanish club’s miscalculation. His absence wasn't deeply felt, and his slow start in Paris suggested more of the same.

While Dembélé finished his first PSG season strongly under Luis Enrique, he still only managed six goals in 41 appearances. The Frenchman himself admitted to Le Parisien that Ligue 1 had become "much stronger than when I left."

For years, many dismissed Dembélé as a supremely talented player lacking the mentality to reach the top. But something has shifted this season. Now 27, he is finally proving to be a consistent difference-maker, helping PSG re-establish themselves as a dominant force. If he maintains this form, a place among the world’s elite could still be within reach.

Rising to the challenge

Dembélé returned to PSG in July following a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign with France, where he failed to register a single goal contribution. However, he bounced back impressively, racking up eight goal involvements in his first eight Ligue 1 appearances of the new season.

But just as it seemed like he had turned a corner, Dembélé hit another setback. He was dropped for PSG’s Champions League trip to Arsenal for “not meeting obligations,” with reports suggesting he had fallen short in training. Luis Enrique didn’t mince words, stating: “If someone doesn’t comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play. I took the best decision for the team, and that is why I signed here—to create a team with a strong identity and character.”

Rather than sulk, Dembélé responded with a newfound determination, working to regain his manager’s trust. There were more hurdles along the way, including a controversial red card in PSG’s narrow 1-0 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich, but he gradually made himself indispensable again.

The turning point came in a 3-1 league victory over Lyon on December 15. Dembélé opened the scoring with a brilliant goal and delivered a stellar all-around performance, reigniting his confidence and setting the stage for his resurgence.

'He has no equal'

Dembélé’s goal against Lyon was just the beginning of an electrifying run, with the French winger netting 14 times in his last nine appearances for PSG—his most prolific stretch as a professional. In the process, he has also carved his name into the club’s history books.

He bagged a hat-trick in PSG’s 4-1 Champions League demolition of Stuttgart, then followed it up with another three-goal haul in a 5-2 league win over Brest last Saturday. That feat made him the first player in PSG’s history to score back-to-back hat-tricks—an incredible achievement given the world-class talent that has graced the Parc des Princes in the last decade, including Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Edinson Cavani, and Zlatan Ibrahimović.

Luis Enrique was full of praise for the in-form forward, telling beIN Sports: “Ousmane can become the player he wants to be. If he stays confident in front of goal, he has no equal. He can score from anywhere, even with his head. He’s a phenomenal player. It’s wonderful to have someone like Ousmane in such great form, and I think the whole team put in a fantastic performance.”

What's changed?

Dembélé’s sudden explosion in form is no coincidence. Luis Enrique has unlocked a new dimension in his game by shifting him into the No. 9 role—a tactical tweak that has paid off with PSG’s only natural center-forward, Gonçalo Ramos, struggling for form and fitness.

"I'm well placed, I'm in the role of number nine, and I have to score goals," Dembélé said after his hat-trick against Brest. That all-or-nothing mindset has been key to his resurgence. After years of, in his own words, being "attached to the wing" at Barcelona, he has fully embraced the responsibility of leading the line.

Last season, Luis Enrique hailed Dembélé as the "best in the world" at taking players on, but his end product remained inconsistent from the right flank. Though predominantly left-footed, he has admitted that he strikes the ball better with his right—the foot he has always used for penalties.

Now, with a more central role allowing him to unleash his right foot more often, Dembélé is finally delivering on his immense potential, and the results have been devastating.

Mbappe's endorsement

Dembélé’s resurgence isn’t just down to his positional switch—his mentality has also undergone a major shift. His former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé recently told L’Équipe: "I'm not surprised. I'm his number-one supporter. I've known his qualities since we were 14. I also think he's had a mental breakthrough, which means he's more relaxed in front of goal. He's a top player!"

Mbappé added: "I think he's doing very well, and he's PSG's main attacking player. Given the form he's in at the moment, he can't set himself any limits. He has to continue like this, and he'll finish the year with a lot of wins." Indeed, there seems to be no ceiling for this version of Dembélé—currently the most dangerous forward in Ligue 1.

At Barcelona, Dembélé often looked burdened, trudging through games with inconsistency. Now, he's playing with freedom, a smile on his face, and a confidence that strikes fear into defenders across Europe. Give him even a yard of space, and he will make something happen.

Mbappé, after winning his fifth successive Ligue 1 Player of the Year award last May, even predicted Dembélé would eventually take his place on the podium: "I have shared and played with incredible players, like Dembélé—he is a friend, and one day he will pick up this award."

That day may come sooner than expected. In this headspace, Dembélé is almost unstoppable, and with him in this kind of form, PSG are a threat to any opponent.

Much more 'freedom'

Dembélé’s goal tally in 2023-24 may not have been prolific, but he still provided 13 assists—thriving under Luis Enrique in a way he never did at Barcelona. The key difference? Freedom. As Dembélé told Marca: "Luis Enrique gives me a lot of freedom. At PSG, I can play everywhere—No.10, on the wing, as a false nine. In the second half of the season, the coach told me to keep moving, except when I had to maintain my position on the wing."

Now deployed as a false nine, Dembélé has even more freedom—and he’s thriving. Much of the credit goes to Luis Enrique, who has once again showcased his ability to manage big personalities at one of football’s most pressurized clubs.

“I’ve known Dembélé since my time at Barcelona, and before that, when he was at Rennes,” the PSG boss has said. “That’s why I wanted to bring him here. He’s a different player now. I know him better, more personally. He always wants the ball, he’s never afraid to take risks. He has so much confidence. It’s great to have a player with his attributes—he does much more than just score goals. He always frees up one, two, even three teammates with his movement and positioning."

Luis Enrique’s unwavering belief in Dembélé has been a driving force behind his transformation. Even when tensions flared earlier in the season, the Spaniard stuck by his man—and now, Dembélé has become PSG’s most important player.

Ballon d'Or contender?

With Bradley Barcola and new signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia supporting him, PSG now boast one of the most dangerous attacking trios in Europe. It took time to adjust after losing Kylian Mbappé, but Luis Enrique’s side is finally clicking into place—and the Spaniard will no doubt have his sights set on replicating the treble-winning success he achieved with Barcelona.

A fourth successive Ligue 1 title looks all but inevitable, with PSG already 10 points clear at the top, and they’ve booked their place in the Coupe de France quarter-finals after easing past Le Mans on Tuesday. The Champions League remains the ultimate prize, and with an all-French tie against overachieving Brest in the knockout stage play-offs, they have a clear path toward making a deep run.

Early setbacks in the league phase against Arsenal and Bayern Munich are now a distant memory, especially after PSG sent a statement to the rest of Europe with a 4-2 demolition of reigning champions Manchester City. Dembélé was the catalyst in that game, despite starting on the bench—coming on at halftime to lead the fightback from 2-0 down, finishing off a brilliant team move with a clinical first-time strike from a Barcola cross.

Former Barcelona and PSG winger Ludovic Giuly recently suggested that Dembélé could win the Ballon d'Or if he sharpens his finishing. It seems the Frenchman took note—he now leads the Ligue 1 scoring charts. A Ballon d’Or may still feel like a long shot, but if Dembélé drives PSG to their long-awaited Champions League triumph, he’ll be impossible to ignore. Betting against him now, after everything he’s already overcome, would be a mistake.