Steve Nicol warned Liverpool to stay away from any possible move for injury-prone Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele next summer.
Ousmane Dembele has become a shadow of the player who tormented defences while at Borussia Dortmund. His form at the German side made him one of the hottest young players across Europe, and Barcelona, with all the cash from the Neymar sale, decided to splash £110 million on the Frenchman alone.
Since arriving at Barcelona, he has been plagued with injuries and has missed more than 600 days of action so far. His vicious injury cycle has forced him to spend more time on the treatment table without getting a consistent run of games.
This past summer, after the departure of Lionel Messi, Dembele was tipped to star for Barcelona, despite being treated for a long term injury then. The winger was expected to come back stronger and make his mark finally at the club. After making his comeback against Dynamo Kyiv, he is out again with another fitness problem.
The latest issue will keep him out for some time, and with his contract expiring in the summer, there has been talk of a move away from Barcelona. Liverpool, who are looking for a wide attacker, are linked with a move for the Frenchman, who will be available on a free transfer next summer.
Dembele's injury record since joining Barcelona ? pic.twitter.com/WNgXzboXEw
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 4, 2021
However, former Liverpool star Steve Nicol has warned the club to stay away from the injury-prone star and look elsewhere for their talent requirement. The ESPN Pundit’s comments appeared on Liverpool Echo, where he questioned Dembele’s professional commitment with those many injuries plaguing his development.
“On his day? Which days are we talking about here? I can’t remember a day. This is a bust,” said the Liverpool legend.
“In my opinion, he has done absolutely nothing since he went to Barcelona. So why would you give this guy a contract worth millions when you could give it to somebody else who looks as though they might be better a professional and actually cares.
“Because the impression I get is that he is not a great professional and he doesn’t really seem to look as though he cares.”