To put Dembele’s transformation solely down to Mbappe’s Real move would be wrong. That was simply the final piece in the jigsaw.
Despite being largely injury free at Rennes and Dortmund, he sustained 14 muscle injuries in his time at the Nou Camp, spending 784 days sidelined.
Concerns over discipline and professionalism led the club to assign private chefs to him, while late nights because of gaming affected his training punctuality, making him the club’s most-fined player in recent years.
Still, when fit, his explosive pace and dribbling made him a game-changer, as he showed glimpses of the talent Barcelona invested in.
So what changed him?
Those that know Dembele best — and few do — say he changed after marrying his girlfriend Rima in Morocco in December 2021, and soon after he had a child.
The wedding came as a surprise to many of his team-mates, not least because they did not even know he had a partner.
So the big changes to his life occurred in his last two seasons at Barcelona when, essentially, he grew up.
Dembele worked at home with a physiotherapist and frequently went to France to receive specialised preventative treatments. With the eyes and mind of a father, he began to see things differently.
He finally took on board the importance of good nutrition and, for the past few seasons, has employed a French nutritionist who has helped him maintain a healthier lifestyle.
For some time many believed that a Champions League triumph for PSG would be dependent on the on-field achievements of one of France’s heroes.
They were right — just not with Mbappe, but a rejuvenated Dembele.
