'Phenomenal' Ousmane Dembele has finally made a 'mental breakthrough' at PSG - but enigmatic Barcelona flop must now prove he deserves permanent spot among world's elite

Dembele returned to PSG in July after a rotten Euro 2024 campaign with France, in which he failed to register a single goal contribution, but bounced back impressively, recording eight in his first eight Ligue 1 appearances at the start of the new season. It was to be another false dawn for Dembele, though, as he was dropped for a Champions League trip to Arsenal for "not meeting obligations".

The suggestion was that Dembele was falling short of the required standard in training, as Luis Enrique added: "If someone doesn’t comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play. I took the best decision for the team and that is why I signed here, to create a team that has a strong identity and has a lot of character."

Perhaps surprisingly given his history, Dembele reacted by displaying plenty of character as he immediately set about winning back the trust of his manager. There were more setbacks, including a controversial red card in PSG's disappointing 1-0 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, but Dembele gradually made himself indispensable again.

The tide turned after a 3-1 league win over Lyon on December 15. Dembele scored the opener to cap a stellar all-round performance, and his confidence levels have since gone through the roof.

The goal against Lyon was the first of 14 that Dembele has scored in his last nine games for PSG. That's the most prolific run of his entire career, and he's also been able to etch his name into the club's history books.

Dembele scored three times in PSG's 4-1 Champions League rout of Stuttgart, and then repeated the trick in the 5-2 league win over Brest last Saturday. He is the first PSG player to ever score back-to-back hat-tricks, which is some feat considering Parc des Princes has been home to world-class players such as Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Edinson Cavani, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic over the last decade alone.

Luis Enrique made no attempt to play down the achievement either, telling beIN Sports: "Ousmane can become the player he wants to be. If he remains confident in front of goal, he has no equal. He can score in any position, even with his head. He's a phenomenal player. I think it's wonderful when you have a player like Ousmane in such good form, and I think all the players put in a great performance."

Dembele's sudden surge is not just a coincidence. Luis Enrique has reaped the benefits of moving the former Barcelona winger into the No.9 slot, with PSG's only natural centre-forward, Goncalo Ramos, still struggling for form and fitness.

"I'm well placed, I'm in the role of number nine and I have to score goals," Dembele said after the Brest game. That all-or-nothing attitude is a big reason for his improvement; Dembele has embraced the extra responsibility that comes with leading the line after years of, in his own words, being "attached to the wing" at Barcelona.

Last season, Luis Enrique described Dembele as the "best in the world" at taking players on, but his end product was always lacking on the right flank. Dembele is predominately left-footed, but has admitted that he shoots better with his right, which is the side he has always taken penalties with.

Now that he's playing closer to the goal, Dembele is able to let fly with his right foot far more frequently, and the results have been devastating.

Moving into a new position is not the only reason Dembele has finally started unlocking his potential, though. His ex-PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe told L'Equipe last week: "I'm not surprised. I'm his number-one supporter. I've known his qualities since we were 14. I also think he's had a mental breakthrough which means he's more relaxed in front of goal. He's a top player!"

Mbappe added: "I think he's doing very well and he's PSG's main attacking player. Given the form he's in at the moment, he can't set himself any limits, he has to continue like this and he'll finish the year with a lot of wins." Indeed, there appears to be no ceiling for this version of Dembele, who is certainly the most deadly forward in Ligue 1 right now.

Dembele often trudged through games at Barcelona, but now he's playing with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. Defenders across Europe are quivering with fear whenever he gets on the ball, knowing full well that he only needs a yard of space to make a decisive impact.

Mbappe backed his compatriot to fill his boots at PSG after picking up his fifth successive Ligue 1 Player of the Year gong last May, telling supporters: "I have shared and played with incredible players, like Dembele, he is a friend and one day he will pick up this award."

That day could come sooner than even Mbappe expected. In this headspace, Dembele is almost unstoppable, and PSG have a chance against any opponent purely because of his presence.

Dembele's goal output wasn't good enough in 2023-24, but he did lay on 13 assists, and Luis Enrique did a better job of maximising the France international's attributes than any of the coaches he had at Barcelona. The difference was simple from Dembele's perspective, as he told Marca: "Luis Enrique gives me a lot of freedom. At PSG, I can play everywhere, as a No.10, on the wing, as a false nine. I had more freedom in the second half of the season. The coach told me to keep moving, except when I had to maintain my position on the wing."

Now, in the false nine role, Dembele has more freedom than ever, and he's thriving. Much of the credit must go to Luis Enrique, who is once again proving to be a master when it comes to managing big egos at one of the world's most scrutinised clubs.

“I’ve known Dembele from my time at Barcelona and he was at Rennes,” the PSG boss has said. “That is why I wanted to bring him here and why the club wanted him. He didn’t want to come to Barcelona back then because there was a lot of competition. He is a different player now. I know him better, more personally. He always wants the ball, he is never scared of doing things or risking criticism. He has a lot of confidence. It is great to have a player with his attributes. He does much more for the team [than just goals]. That is always the most important thing. He always frees up one, two or three team-mates with his movement, the way he takes up space."

Fuelled by Luis Enrique's belief in his ability, which has never wavered even when there was some friction between the pair earlier in the campaign, Dembele has become PSG's main man.

With Bradley Barcola and new signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia backing Dembele up, PSG boast one of the most fearsome frontlines on the continent. It's taken time for them to evolve after losing Mbappe, but it feels like everything is now coming together, and Luis Enrique will surely be eyeing a repeat of the treble success he enjoyed with Barcelona.

PSG should stroll to their fourth successive Ligue 1 crown without a hitch, having already opened up a 10-point lead at the summit, and they're into the Coupe de France quarter-finals after seeing off Le Mans on Tuesday. The Champions League is also a realistic goal, as they look ahead to an all-French tie against over-achieving Brest in the knockout stage play-offs.

The league phase losses against Arsenal and Bayern have long been forgotten, not least because PSG nailed home their credentials by blowing away 2023 winners Manchester City 4-2 in their penultimate game. Dembele was the chief tormentor once again in that contest, despite only coming on as a half-time substitute, and he sparked PSG's comeback from 2-0 down with a cool first-time finish from a Barcola cross.

Ex-Barcelona and PSG attacker Ludovic Guily recently claimed Dembele could win the Ballon d'Or if he fixes his finishing, and it appears he's taken note, having since moved to the top of the Ligue 1 top-scorer rankings. Ballon d'Or recognition may still seem farfetched at this stage, but Dembele will have to be considered a contender if he inspires the Ligue 1 champions to an elusive European crown. Certainly it would be foolish to bet against a man who has already defied so many doubters.