Share

Barca new boy Dembele eyes titles

Cape Town - Barcelona's new signing Ousmane Dembele said Monday he had eyes firmly fixed on winning titles and a place in France's squad at next year's World Cup.

Dembele, 20, transferred to Barca from Borussia Dortmund in a €105 million deal that could rise to €145 million with add-ons depending on his performance, as the Catalan giants splashed out to fill the gap left by Neymar's own world record €222 million move to Paris Saint-Germain.

"What I want is to be here, to play with the world's best players," Dembele said in an interview with Mundo Deportivo newspaper.

The best players, he said, "are at Barca and it's for that reason I came here. To win titles for the team and then to be able to be with the France team at the World Cup in Russia".

Dembele again played down any comparison with Neymar.

"Neymar is a great player and I still have to strive to improve, to play as I know and offer up my best qualities," the Frenchman said

"I like to dribble and give the decisive pass to my team-mates.

"What I hope is to be able to adapt well to the team and to know them all, Messi, Suarez, Iniesta... But above all, to have a good entry into the squad.

"At Rennes I played more down the left wing, but also down the right and sometimes in midfield. At Dortmund, it was the same, I alternated wings. I don't have problems with the position I'll take up."

Dembele acknowledged that Barca had been interested in signing him last season, but he said he "would not have played what I needed to".

"I had only been playing professionally for half a year. I had to learn more," he said.

Dembele will now form a fearsome forward line alongside five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez as Barca aim to wrestle the Champions League and La Liga titles back from rivals Real Madrid.

He will have to wait, however, until at least September 9 to make his debut when Barca host Espanyol in a Catalan derby.

Dembele announced himself as one of Europe's top prospects with a stellar season at Dortmund, scoring 10 goals, after joining from Rennes for just €15 million a year ago.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1843 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1810 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1100 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 470 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 261 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE