To place Dembele's transformation solely right down to Mbappe's Actual transfer could be fallacious. That was merely the ultimate piece within the jigsaw.
Regardless of being largely damage free at Rennes and Dortmund, he sustained 14 muscle accidents in his time on the Nou Camp, spending 784 days sidelined.
Considerations over self-discipline and professionalism led the membership to assign personal cooks to him, whereas late nights due to gaming affected his coaching punctuality, making him the membership's most-fined participant in recent times.
Nonetheless, when match, his explosive tempo and dribbling made him a game-changer, as he confirmed glimpses of the expertise Barcelona invested in.
So what modified him?
People who know Dembele greatest – and few do – say he modified after marrying his girlfriend Rima in Morocco in December 2021, and shortly after he had a baby.
The marriage got here as a shock to a lot of his team-mates, not least as a result of they didn't even know he had a associate.
So the large adjustments to his life occurred in his final two seasons at Barcelona when, primarily, he grew up.
Dembele labored at house with a physiotherapist and incessantly went to France to obtain specialised preventative therapies. With the eyes and thoughts of a father, he started to see issues otherwise.
He lastly took on board the significance of fine vitamin and, for the previous few seasons, has employed a French nutritionist who has helped him preserve a more healthy life-style.
For a while many believed {that a} Champions League triumph for PSG could be depending on the on-field achievements of one in every of France's heroes.
They have been proper – simply not with Mbappe, however a rejuvenated Dembele.
