Messi believes in Dembele
Despite facing heavy criticism for lengthy injury layoffs and lacklustre performances, Ousmane Dembele will be relieved to know that his Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi has all the faith in the world in him.
The French forward arrived at the Camp Nou as 'Neymar's replacement' and the club's most expensive signing, until the acquisition of Philippe Coutinho in January. However, things haven't gone to plan for the 20-year-old with his meager contributions raising doubts about 'Los Cules' huge investment in the young talent.
It was early into his career as a Barcelona player that Dembele suffered an injury against Getafe, which would see him sidelined for months and undermine his morale.
Nonetheless, head coach Ernesto Valverde turned to the young Frenchman to revolutionise the return fixture on 11th February, in his first game back for the Catalan side, with the La Liga leaders yet to break down their opposition. It didn't go his way though, losing possession 13 times during his 27-minute cameo.
While pressure has been steadily rising on the young player's shoulders, there is one ray of hope for Dembele in the shape of one of the world's greatest ever footballers: Messi.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Argentine forward has been a huge ally for him in the Barcelona dressing room, giving the youngster lots of support since his arrival at the Camp Nou in August.
If Messi sees something in Dembele, may be the critics should hold off until the former Borussia Dortmund forward shows us why 'Los Cules' went in for him in the first place.