Ousmane Dembélé may be focused only on his next match as Paris Saint-Germain could become Champions League winners again in a clash against Arsenal in Hungary. However, the forward also discussed the trio of him, Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise that France could use at the World Cup in an interview with RMC Sport.
Dembélé said: “We try to communicate a lot, to change positions. Against Brazil and Colombia, we changed positions a lot with pretty much everyone and I think it worked well. It also creates a bit of chaos in opposing defenses. You have Mbappé one minute, two minutes later you have Olise.”
While he emerged as a winger early in his career, Dembélé has become a feared central attacker after Luis Enrique changed his role. This was connected to the improvement in his performances that led not only to team success but also Ballon d’Or consideration.
Dembélé on his favorite role
His rise as a dynamic winger at Borussia Dortmund attracted some of the biggest clubs in the world. His ability to play equally well with either foot gave him the dangerous skill set needed to perform on both wings.
Dembélé became a complete player (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Even if the positional switch proposed by Luis Enrique may not have been fully accepted at first, it is now clear that it was the best move for him because he also contributes more without the ball than before, while the freedom to move became his favorite part of the change.
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Dembélé said: “Whether it’s Michael or me, Didier Deschamps tells us a lot to change positions, not to stay confined to either the right or the center. And then I try to show my qualities, whether on the right wing, which I know well, or in the center as well. But yes, it’s especially during this last year that I’ve had much more freedom with the national team.”
Dembélé on being a leader
For the forward, the most important change in his career may be becoming one of the older players in the squad after spending most of his career as the young talent. This became evident in a rebuilding Paris Saint-Germain side that signed him from Barcelona after an unstable spell there. It was Luis Enrique who convinced him to become a leader.
Dembélé said: “I try, on every ball and every match, to give the best of myself, to try to improve every ball I have, to set an example. These last two years, it has worked for me. The coach talked to me and told me that I had an important role for the team: to set an example, whether to the older or the younger players.”
