Back in the summer transfer window of 2017, Barcelona were left reeling.
Having spent months winding up Paris Saint-Germain by publicly eyeing deals for the likes of Adrien Rabiot and Marco Verratti, the Ligue 1 titans hit back. And it was quite the hit, too.
Angry, and with money to spare, PSG decided to activate Neymar's £200million buyout clause. It was a seismic move, one that sent shockwaves around the footballing world. And the Brazil international, who could have turned down the chance to move to the Parc des Princes, agreed to the transfer - having grown fed up of living in the shadow of Lionel Messi.
Barcelona were stunned. They had wanted Neymar to stay but, suddenly, found themselves scrambling to land a replacement. Kylian Mbappe, who had also been on their radar, ended up joining the Samba star in France.
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So in the end, they opted for Ousmane Dembele. The winger had established himself first at Rennes, where he scored 12 goals and registered five assists in 26 Ligue 1 matches in the 2015/16 season, and then at Dortmund.
It was his performances in Germany that caught Barcelona's eye. Playing under Thomas Tuchel, the forward's 18 goal involvements from 32 Bundesliga matches was enough for the Catalan giants to sanction a massive £135.5m deal.
Dembele arrived with high hopes but there was trouble right away. In his unveiling at the Nou Camp, the winger fluffed his attempt at keepy-uppies as his nerves got the better of him.
His first season was one to forget. With injuries hampering him, he was limited to just 23 appearances across all competitions. There were only four goals to celebrate, too.
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Barcelona signed Ousmane Dembele to replace Neymar back in the summer transfer window of 2017
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In his second year in Catalonia, there were signs of improvement. He managed 14 goals in 42 matches, with eight arriving from 29 LaLiga matches.
Ultimately, however, that would be as good as it got.
Dembele was regularly hampered with injury issues while wearing Barcelona's iconic red and blue colours. As the club's spending got more erratic - they wasted millions on the likes of
Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann - the France international started to become a forgotten figure.
Furthermore, there were issues off the field as well. Dembele, during his younger years and like many others his age, enjoyed spending his evenings on the PlayStation.
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Ousmane Dembele's career hit a low when he was subbed in the final of the 2022 World Cup
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Barcelona once feared the attacker had a 'gaming addiction'. It is believed Fortnite, the popular online game, was his choice of title.
Then, at the 2022 World Cup, it looked as though Dembele's career was on the verge of amounting to nothing.
He was dire against Argentina in the final, so bad that manager Didier Deschamps opted to haul him off before half time.
In the immediate aftermath of France's defeat - they ended up losing to Argentina on penalties despite a spectacular Mbappe hat-trick - the media were scathing.
Dembele was written off. The French blamed him, and his abject performance, for their failure to overcome Lionel Messi's side.
In 2023, Barcelona decided to cut their big-money arrival loose. PSG came calling and agreed a £43.5m deal, bringing the forward back to the country where he made his name.
The rest, as the old saying goes, is history.
PSG boss Luis Enrique believed in Dembele right from the start. Though Mbappe was his talisman, he always knew the understudy was ready to step up and deliver.
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Ousmane Dembele has gone from strength to strength at PSG since the departure of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid
| REUTERSHe has done that, and more.
Dembele's first season at the Parc des Princes didn't set the world alight. Just six goals from 42 appearances.
Following Mbappe's departure to Real Madrid, however, the 28-year-old has come into a league of his own.
Last season, Dembele fired PSG to an unprecedented quadruple. He netted 35 goals across all competitions, with 21 of those coming from just 29 Ligue 1 matches.
He has started the current campaign in similarly excellent form, with two goals from four matches so far.
And, on Monday night, his stunning resurgence saw him recognised at the Ballon d'Or where he claimed football's ultimate individual prize.
Ousmane Dembele was crowned the winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or on Monday night
|REUTERS
Dembele was emotional. There were tears at the ceremony, with years of suffering now a thing of the past.
In a touching moment, he invited his mother on stage. She, without a doubt, will be the proudest of all.