Ousmane Dembélé has yet to have that impactful influence in a match early in his tenure with Paris Saint-Germain. Furthermore, his struggles are magnified with the capital club slowly coming out of the gate.
After PSG fell 3-2 to OGC Nice on Friday at the Parc des Princes, the 26-year-old winger received criticism for his performance. One of the critics was Foot Mercato, who stated that Dembélé’s performances should be concerning.
The French media outlet notes that the former FC Barcelona is playing well below the expectations placed on him. It’s likely many had higher expectations when he moved from Camp Nou to Paris.
“Well below the expectations placed on him, the ambidextrous player, renowned for his arabesques and his technical ease, was especially noted for his significant waste and more than questionable choices,” Foot Mercato said.
“Symbol of this contribution that is far too weak and like his first outings with PSG. The former winger of FC Barcelona returned to the locker room with his head down with a worrying statistical line.”
There’s an apparent adaptation period that the winger is getting used to his teammates and Luis Enrique’s system. Still, there must be positive signs that Dembélé is moving in the right direction and getting comfortable with his teammates.
Dembélé can silence any critics when PSG faces Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League. If the Ligue 1 side hopes to advance out of this Group of Death, they’ll need one of the marquee signings from this summer to begin playing at the level many expect.