Barcelona sold Ousmane Dembele for €50m and promoted Lamine Yamal to replace him. Let's quickly look at who has been better between the two right-wingers.
First, here's what the stats say:
Goals: 6
Assists: 9
Succesful dribbles: 85
Goals: 5
Assists: 14
Successful dribbles: 62
Lamine has done ever so well coming short of Dembele's total goal contribution by just four goals. He's also had more successful dribbles than his predecessor despite being almost a decade younger.
But the stats don't tell the full story. In Jose Mourinho's famous words, "People who don't understand football analyse only with stats."
The eye test tells us that Dembele has been the better player this season, slightly so. He's been impressive in helping PSG win the French league, reach the Champions League semi-final and the French Cup final.
The Athletic says Dembele has been arguably PSG's most important player this season as he tops their charts for progressive carries and goal-creating actions despite playing fewer minutes than Kylian Mbappe. The same cannot be said for Lamine at Barca — players like Gundogan and Lewandowski have been more important to the group. Although Barca still finished trophyless.
What's more, Dembele has also been playing a versatile role for PSG, popping up in midfield, on the left wing and even tracking back to defend. Lamine has stuck to the right wing with Raphinha being shifted to the left to accommodate him.
Lamine's big advantage over Dembele is age. In 10 years, the Spaniard would be 26 — Dembele's age today. The teenager could well be winning the Ballon d'Or if he stays consistent.
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