After losing Lionel Messi and Neymar this summer, PSG chose to bolster their front line by signing Ousmane Dembele. One worry that came with his arrival was his fitness. However, that hasn’t been a problem in the French city so far.

Dembele has been mostly healthy throughout the first seven months in Paris. To add insult to injury, Neymar struggled to handle the toughness of Ligue 1 while donning the Red-and-Blues jersey. That being said, Dembele is now competing in a very tough competition.

But while the injury problems that he had at Barcelona now seem to have magically vanished, another problem has emerged. The Frenchman’s current on-field performance does not justify the substantial transfer cost of $53 million.

On the other hand, Luis Enrique remains completely confident in the player. He has constantly praised him in press conferences despite the persistent doubts. The ex-Barca star is erratic and often gives supporters a run for their money when he tries to score.

Luis Enrique believes in Dembele despite poor record

Xavi, Didier Deschamps, and Luis Enrique in Paris have all praised Dembele’s directness, ability to draw opponents in, and ease of dribbling. The figures, however, do not reflect all of his contributions while playing.

The lone goal Dembele has scored for PSG thus far came in his 16th appearance overall for the Ligue 1 winners. The 26-year-old winger has since gone 12 games without scoring for Luis Enrique’s squad.

Compared to a projected Neymar or Messi successor, his statistics in the 20 Ligue 1 appearances and six Champions League appearances are pitiful. That being said, his significance to former Spain manager Luis Enrique remains undeniable, as he persists in starting him on the right side.

“He can miss chances, but he has the right attitude. He can improve, yes, but I’m in love with his game. I’m not worried,” the experienced tactician said in October.

The French collaboration has been unbroken off the field, despite Dembele’s struggles to collaborate with Mbappe this season. On the other hand, Mbappe excelled when paired with Neymar.

Neymar chimes in with a sarcastic remark about Dembele at PSG

After leaving PSG for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal last summer, Neymar continues to make headlines online for all the wrong reasons. Recently, the 32-year-old striker seemed to react to a piece that criticized PSG. He stated that Kylian Mbappe was more important than the club itself.

The Brazilian continued his trend of controversial outings on Wednesday with another riveting performance. It all started with a post from a Brazilian Neymar fan account that made fun of winger Dembele’s goalscoring woes this season.

The 26-year-old has only managed one goal for the club, whereas Neymar has scored two despite departing for Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal in August. He forgot that the two goals he scored for Luis Enrique’s team occurred in the preseason since the Brazilian responded with a laughing face emoji.

When it comes to competitive strikes, Dembele is on top, even if Neymar scored in an August friendly against Jeonbuk Motors. Even so, the ex-Barcelona player will be looking to change that number in the games to come.

PHOTOS: IMAGO