The Dembele dilemma: What Barcelona must do

Ousmane Dembele is improving, but is continuously being linked with a move away from Barcelona.

Dilemmas don’t necessarily mean problems. And in the case of Ousmane Dembele, it’s hard to know whether it’s a nightmare or a blessing in disguise.

Dembele popped up to score a vital equalizer against Atletico last weekend, snatching a draw from the jaws of defeat. Including that, Dembele alone has now won Barcelona seven points from losing positions, also scoring an astounding goal in the Spanish Super Cup to help Barcelona past Sevilla.

Yet not a day goes by without a new rumor in the now frustratingly fickle Dembele saga. It’s almost routine to wake up to a new piece of news linking Dembele away from the club, but that’s normal in the world of sports media.

What’s frustrating, for Barcelona fans especially, is the lack of a cohesive message put forth by the club, either in support of Dembele or to confirm the rumors. Obviously, publicly saying that Dembele is up for sale would bring his market value down; Barcelona can’t afford to sell him for anything less than what they paid for him. It’s understandable the club want to remain coy on Dembele’s situation. However, it’s unforgivable they keep their own supporters in the dark. After how poorly Neymar’s transfer to PSG was handled, the club owe the fans an explanation.

The kind of heartache suffered when Neymar left for Paris after an entire summer of yes-and-no, back-and-forth rumors isn’t easy to stomach. Rumors linking Neymar with a move back, and Dembele with a move away are just no good at the moment. None of it will serve to ease any stress on the fans. The club need to be decisive and clear in their message, rather than dance in the shadows like they have been doing in recent weeks.

Club manager Ernesto Valverde has his opinions on Dembele, and to his credit has stuck by them and Dembele himself whenever asked. But Valverde may not have a future at Barcelona. The manager still hasn’t extended his contract, which is set to expire at the end of the season. What would happen should he leave?

This instability has been rocking the club for years now — some would argue it began when Pep Guardiola and Joan Laporta left — and it has only been held together by Lionel Messi. The current captain has been keeping Barcelona competitive by their own lofty standards almost single handedly, which has papered over a lot of the cracks. Many would say Barcelona should be in the same crisis as Real Madrid are currently without their main man.

In Dembele, Barcelona have a player of such prodigious talent. If developed correctly, he could very well be the main man to lead Barcelona into a new era. Still only 21, Dembele has had a bumpy year and half in Blaugrana colors. Despite chipping in with decisive goals, many cules aren’t happy with him. He often takes too long on the ball, and is guilty of giving possession away too many times, neither of which facts will do anything to endear him to the fans. Additionally, endless speculation about his unprofessionalism and lackadaisical attitude has raised some very real questions about his future.

However, Valverde has improved his work rate over the last year, and against PSV, Dembele looked like he was playing at peak confidence. His link-up play with Messi was exceptional, typified in the build up to Messi’s astounding goal, but it was how quickly he received and released the ball that was most pleasing. All of a sudden, it looked like he had been playing the Barca way since he was a little boy.

There were still moments when he looked shaky and gave the ball away, but he chased back and closed down with desire. No matter what the rumors say, a player’s real desire can be seen on the pitch. There was a brief moment in the match when Malcolm and Dembele were flanking Messi, and a potential blueprint for Barcelona’s future was in sight. There’s still the unenviable task of replacing Luis Suarez and then Messi himself, but with Dembele, Malcolm and Philippe Coutinho, the structure is there. Barcelona have to capitalize on the talent that Dembele possess and use it to build for long-term success.

Furthermore, despite the lack of a unified rhetoric from the Barcelona board, the players have given their support. Sergio Busquets came out after the Atletico game talking up Dembele’s qualities. Valverde himself has come out time and again calling for patience with Dembele and calling out the treatment of the young man by the notoriously harsh Spanish media.

Yet again — like with Neymar — there is a siege mentality within Barcelona. It’s the players vs. the board. Gone are the rosy days under Laporta, and until the next election for club president, cules will have to put up with the much-maligned Josep Bartomeu.

One positive, however, is the appointment of Eric Abidal as Sporting Director. Abidal has been putting in work with the French players, building good relationships with each of them, and will be key to this Demebele saga. If Barcelona are to avoid a massive fallout, they have to be decisive with Dembele. If they’re smart and plan for the long-term, however, the decision will be easy: Hold onto Dembele.