Ousmane Dembele must mature at Barcelona – Arturo Vidal

Arturo Vidal has called on his Barcelona teammate Ousmane Dembele to mature quickly or risk not fulfilling his ‘crazy talent’.

The 22-year-old joined the Blaugrana for an initial €105m in the summer of 2017 and despite netting 19 goals in 69 appearances for the club, has faced off-field issues.

The Frenchman has suffered a number of injuries and recurring fitness issues while also coming into headlines for missing training and regularly turning up to meetings late.

Vidal joined the Catalan giants last summer and has a history of success at the top level – having won league titles in Italy, Germany and Spain with Juventus, Bayern Munich and Barcelona respectively, alongside two Copa America crowns with Chile.

“Ousmane is a football player who has a crazy talent. When he reaches maturity, he will be an important player for Barça and for France,” Vidal said in L'Equipe, as cited by El Mundo Deportivo.

“But, clearly, he has to mature. Listen to his body, be better prepared to avoid injuries. If you want to be the best, you should get up, eat and go to bed thinking about football. I think Ousmane will realize at some point that he has to do more.

“I talk to him a lot. He is a good boy and he is the first to want to be the best. He arrived at Barça at age 20, without much experience. Ousmane must become aware of what he really wants in life, know where he plays and who he plays with. But I think I see an evolution. It must continue like this.”

Tags Arturo Vidal Ousmane Dembele
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