30 Sep 2020 12:20:38
So the most recent rumours are that with a bid for Sancho rejected the club are exploring the idea of signing long term injury absentee Ousmane Dembele, either on a loan deal, a loan with an option to buy, a loan deal with an obligation to buy or just outright buying him depending on who's information you are reading/ listening to.

Would he be a good signing? Well if he can stay fit he would be an excellent signing, when fit there are few better RW's in world football. Quick, clever, able to play on either side, genuinely two footed, good shot and has a moment of magic in his boots.

However, that is if he is fit. There have been some questions risen by his team that Barcelona are responsible for his injuries, while they claim it was a lack of professionalism/ dedication. Recently a report has been leaked that he was late for training and Koeman is unhappy with him.

So, what is the story with his injuries, when has he got them, what sort of injury has he sustained and with what club. On the face of it maybe his entourage have a point that he didn't suffer any injuries while at Rennes or Dortmund. He did suffer two minor injuries prior to joining Barcelona, a bruise and a hip flexor muscle injury which kept him out for a combined 10 days. These are minor mostly impact injuries and as such are not an indicator of an injury prone player.

While at Barcelona though he has suffered 9 separate injuries in 3 years, ranging from an ankle injury that kept him out for 18 days, to three separate "torn muscle bundles" keeping him out for a combined 118 days, he has had another muscle injury keeping him out for 3 day (likely bruising) . While he has suffered 4 separate hamstring injuries keeping him out for a whopping 373 days.

Meaning that during his 3 years at Barcelona he has been injured for 512 days out of 1095 or so days at the club. It is important to note here that the days injured are only counted during the season. The 270 or so days he has been off during the summer aren't included. Meaning that he has been unavailable to play for Barcelona for 512 days out of 825 days that are the three football seasons he has been at the club.

His injuries at Barcelona have meant that he misses around 70% of the available games. The concern with his injuries is that he has repeated hamstring and muscle-based injuries. Could that be down to the training at Barcelona? If that had been the case under one manager then he might have a point, however, different managers run different training regimes, he has had three managers and has been injured under all three. Could it be the medical department? Possibly, maybe they rushed him back, maybe they don't have the expertise to manage his type of injury. However, if that was the case then surely others at the club would be suffering similar injury issues.

Ultimately it would be very difficult to ascertain without detailed medical knowledge and understanding of what has happened to work out whether he is injury prone or just been badly managed. But hey, that's what a medical is for.

If the club are to pursue Dembele then maybe the best move would be a loan with a fix fee option to buy next summer. See if the club can get him fit and firing and i'd so then they could sign him next summer, if not then no harm no foul.

1.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 12:42:27
Wow shappy did you really just spend time calculating all that?

2.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 13:05:21
On his day very good exciting player . has had a lot of issues with injuries last couple of years.

3.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 13:13:16
I hope this is not truewith dembele this isn't about sancho but the lack of intent from the club to be champions again amazes me. U knew the price if u didn't want to pay it where was the ambition and planning to do something else this is all a bit desperate now.

4.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 13:20:56
That is some analysis on his injury record Shappy! If we can manage his injury then we have a fantastic two footed player on our hands.

5.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 13:28:01
RedWhiskey, I find the best way to process a situation is to evaluate it with empirical measurements, look at data, find patterns. That took me 2 minutes to locate that the data on his injury history and about 10 minutes to write that post and do a couple of simple addition sums. Not that long at all. But I now have a greater grasp on his injury history, so rather than going with my gut and throwing my toys out the pram as he isn't the signing I want because I THINK he is injured all the time. I actually KNOW the extent and type of injuries he has had and can have a more informed opinion.

If he can stay fit then he would be a top class signing, because we couldn't be sure of his fitness and loan deal makes much more sense.

6.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 12:59:04
He wasnt even that great at dortmund. Barcelona over payed and now he's a crop

Once you. have the kind of hamstring injury he had it is not the same. Add to all his other injuires and he's still a young player

Another waste of money.

7.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 14:02:21
I read earlier this morning that he had turned us down. Can't say I blame him really.

8.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 14:51:12
Dembele seems a poor choice.
Barca flop, attitude issues, poor injury record.

9.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 14:56:50
Wouldn't touch with my bargepole.

10.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 16:35:10
Sancho and Telles will sign.

11.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 20:20:45
Good response, Shaps. I know many of us appreciate a post with a bit of thought put into it.

12.) 01 Oct 2020
01 Oct 2020 06:28:48
How clueless is this club when it comes to signing players though 😂 my god, shocking.

13.) 01 Oct 2020
01 Oct 2020 16:12:15
I don’t see Dembele coming to us but, didn’t Giggs suffer a succession of hamstring injuries during a fraught period of his career? I seem to recall he did and addressed his issue with expert advice, different training and stretching routine plus adopting yoga as a regular practice.

14.) 02 Oct 2020
02 Oct 2020 08:59:24
Dembele doesn't want to come to us but we are persisting? 🤔.

15.) 02 Oct 2020
02 Oct 2020 10:36:17
We are trying to sign a player against his wish? - well it seems our transfer experts are at it again.

16.) 02 Oct 2020
02 Oct 2020 12:23:01
I don't want him anywhere near United.