Raphinha or Dembélé: there can only be one
Barcelona will be forced to sell one of the two in the summer: they want to play in the same position and Xavi doesn’t want to use them both.
Their preferences are public. On 21 August, Ousmane Dembélé said: “I prefer to play on the right”. And on 8 November, Raphinha made clear “I’ve asked Xavi not to play on the left.” During those two months, Xavi, a lover of wingers, tried to fit the two wide men into his starting eleven. Sometimes it was Dembélé on the left, others it was the ex-Leeds man. But things didn’t work out and Xavi gave up.
Dembélé has a contract with the Catalan club until 2024, Raphinha until 2027, but only one can fit on the right side. The situation will not last for much longer the way it is, and the club must make a decision and sell one of the two players. Xavi has always been a supporter of Dembélé. Laporta was key in Dembélé, represented by Deco, staying with the club this season, and a conflict may be on the horizon.
World Cup disappointments
Dembélé and Raphinha arrived at Qatar with their form in questionable moments. The Frenchman ended up disappointing in the bigger games and was hung out to dry in the final, where Deschamps hooked him in the first half. Whether or not he was affected by the problems that surrounded the French camp during the World Cup, more was expected of the player.
Of the attacking players (Giroud, Mbappé and Griezmann), he was the one who failed to make an impact and even Kingsley Coman and Kolo Muani did more. And things weren’t much better for the Brazilian. He started off well, with a good game against Switzerland. But then his form slowly dipped, and he became one of the many names that ended up disappointing for Brazil.
For Xavi, Dembélé was indispensable at the beginning of the season. He played 20 times (1,289 minutes). Raphinha, however, just about reached 865 minutes as he was one of the most substituted players for Xavi. And something even more interesting worth noting is that, hidden behind his golazo in Pamplona, Raphinha has only played 88 minutes of Barcelona’s last 5 games.
The question does have its answer, since if Dembélé is untouchable for Xavi, that means the Brazilian may have to find his future away from the Camp Nou at the end of the season, unless he shows Xavi that he has what it takes. And when the summer comes, apart from a big chance of events, there can only be one.
