This Thursday, May 15, as they prepare to host Auxerre on Saturday (Ligue 1 matchday 34), Paris Saint-Germain have a little event to celebrate. It’s the birthday of striker Ousmane Dembélé, now 28.
Dembélé’s talent for creating chances through dribbling and passing has always been evident. But he has also long been a frustrating player, between injuries and inefficiency. His arrival at PSG in 2023 from FC Barcelona was a turning point.
Much less used to the infirmary, he gained in regularity with coach Luis Enrique. The latter has even helped him to become more accurate in front of goal, notably in a false-9 role that was surprising at first but now seems to be a matter of course. Dembélé can, of course, still play on the flanks. In fact, he’s still very free in his movements.
This season, some are even making him a favourite for the Ballon d’Or. That’s what we’d like to see him do, as he looks set for victory in the French Cup final against Reims (May 24) and the Champions League final against Inter Milan (May 31), as well as a happy birthday of course.