Ousmane Dembele has told Telefoot
that he does not fear fierce competition for places at Barcelona and
will stay at the club to prove his ability after a difficult first
season.
A left thigh injury sidelined Dembele for three-and-a-half
months in the first half of the campaign, just weeks after moving from
Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth up to €147 million, and a problem with
the same muscle saw him ruled out again after the turn of the year.
Since returning to fitness, the France international has struggled to establish himself in Ernesto Valverde's starting XI.
Just
seven of his 12 La Liga appearances this season have been starts, while
the 20-year-old has started on the bench for three of his team's last
four competitive outings, including both legs of the Champions League
quarterfinal exit at the hands of Roma.
"I signed a five-year
contract at Barcelona. I'm going to be in Barcelona a very long time.
I'm not going to leave after a season," he explained, adding that he
remains short of peak physical fitness.
"I'm
not in my best form, but little by little, it's coming back. I still
have to work on my cardio because I get tired very quickly. At
Barcelona, I have a better lifestyle. At Dortmund, I didn't have a great
lifestyle and I didn't get injured, so it's not that."
In
addition to Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, Dembele saw Barcelona add
Philippe Coutinho to their squad in January to increase competition for
places up front while the his international teammate, Antoine Griezmann,
has been tipped to also move to Catalonia. However, the Atletico Madrid striker has rubbished those reports.
"It's
Barca, it's just the way it is," Dembele said regarding competition for
places. "I'm happy with Coutinho's arrival. As for Griezmann, I don't
know if he's going to come. [The senior players] give me advice, they
help me a lot on the pitch. It's difficult to adapt to Barcelona."
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