A young Malian talent was expected to join Chelsea this summer, but everything suggests Barcelona jumped ahead in the race and convinced the player to sign with them.
Detecting talent before your direct rivals has become a plan for big clubs. That is what, according to Africafoot, FC Barcelona is doing with Seydou Dembele, a talented 18-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for JMG Academy Bamako and who, according to the same source, should become a new Barcelona player in the coming days.
Considered a phenomenon of Malian football, with a privileged left foot and electric dribbling, Dembele has sparked the interest of other European teams, among them Chelsea, whom Barcelona would have beaten to the punch.
Born in 2008, standing 1.65 meters tall, what most stands out about Seydou Dembele is his spark when the ball reaches his feet, because in addition to his dribbling, he displays good striking ability, both in motion and on set pieces.
Positionally, he has the ability to play inside or to start from the right wing and cut inside on a diagonal. As a member of Mali's under-17 national team, Dembele scored 6 goals in 14 matches. That is why at Chelsea, he would take on a supporting role for Estevao, who normally covers that position but has recently faced a series of injuries that have kept him off the pitch.
However, as long as the club maintains its current inconsistency and continues to incur losses that push it further away from Champions League positions, it will be very difficult to be an attractive option for both young and experienced players, since everyone wants to participate in the most important club competition.
Failing to qualify for that competition, besides being a failure in itself, often complicates the club's ambitions in the summer transfer market. For example, Barcelona, like Chelsea, has already been eliminated from the current Champions League; however, it holds a 9-point lead in La Liga, which would allow it to qualify directly for the next edition of the tournament.
It is clear that for players like Seydou, given the interest from two major European clubs, the simplest decision for their personal ambitions will be to join the team that allows them to showcase themselves on the biggest stage, the Champions League. So, we mention it again, if Chelsea does not want to lose out to other clubs this summer, it must start taking all three points in the Premier League.
Join The Conversation
Roundtablesports is Free to join! You can post your own thoughts, comment on articles, and start conversations with our Roundtable Writers.
Download the FREE Roundtable APP, and get even easier access to your favorite teams and news!