Thierry Henry has been left shocked by how Liverpool transfer target, Ousmane Dembele, has ‘turned the crowd around’ at Barcelona.
The legendary striker added that is ‘virtually impossible’ because ‘guys usually leave’ when the highly-demanding Barcelona supporters get on your back.
That was the case for Dembele, who at one point, seemed to be in a political fight with those in the Barcelona boardroom when his contract was running down six months ago, as well as his own fans booing him.
There were a lot of suggestions that he could have left during the January transfer window, with Newcastle United one club, and their new Saudi-led ownership, lurking for his signature.
Even Liverpool were looking to bring the 25-year-old’s talents to Merseyside, before he agreed on a 40% pay-cut to stay in Barcelona.
Fast forward to the present, and Dembele is causing the damage many thought he would when he first made his big-money move to La Liga, as Henry praised the player’s turnaround, as he told CBS Sports (13/09/22 at 7:50 pm).
“It is really tough to turn the crowd around at the Camp Nou,” said Henry. “It’s virtually impossible. Guys usually leave.
“What Dembele is doing, at the moment, he can assist. Pick the ball up with his right, and now with his left. Head up, whilst you are looking at the defender, keep your head up.
“Can he defend? Yes, he can defend. Then Ansu Fati gets the ball and he scores (against Real Sociedad in August). Then again, he is toying with people. He has that in abundance, left or right footed, he doesn’t even know himself – it’s very difficult to deal with him.
“He has been magnificent. To be able to turn the crowd around at the Camp Nou is not an easy one.”
XAVI HAS HELPED TRANSFORM DEMBELE
Arrived at Barcelona for a huge fee, on ridiculous wages and playing for a club in stupid amounts of debt that needed certain players to, either leave, or cut their wages.
There was a lot of drama around Dembele 12 months ago, and as he was entering the final year of his deal, it seemed as though he was just going to sit this drama out.
But, enters the legendary midfielder Xavi, who forgot about what had happened with the player in the past, he got him back on the pitch, in tip-top condition and now he is showcasing his talents.
The France International is now one of Barca’s most important players and he will be looking to elevate his status even further at the 2022 World Cup.
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