Dembele vs Raphinha: Barcelona wingers set to fight it out for Camp Nou futures

Karan Tejwani

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:00 CDT
• 3 min read

Barcelona duo Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha are set to battle it out for a place on the wing in the second half of the season, and it could affect their futures at the club.

The Blaugrana have an abundance of attacking talent on their squad and they would like to reduce their numbers, which would help their financial situation as well.

Dembele has been in fine form this season, scoring goals and providing five assists in 11 appearances, while Raphinha has generally struggled.

READ: Barcelona summer signing admits ‘it’s been difficult’

Now, the two will battle it out to determine who remains at the club, as both have insisted they want to remain on the right wing, with no intention of moving to the other side.

According to AS, Xavi has a preference of keeping Dembele on the right side, and it has worked out well for him, with the Frenchman often delivering for Barcelona.

Barcelona duo to fight for place

It was Xavi who was adamant on keeping Dembele at the club over the summer after his contract had run out and his faith in the winger has been rewarded this season.

Things haven’t been quite as rosy for Raphinha, who refused offers from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea over the summer to move to Barcelona.

READ: Chelsea and PSG battle for Ousmane Dembele

In his time at the Camp Nou, he has only been able to provide two goals and two assists and has generally been criticized by the Spanish media, with starts proving hard to justify.

There has reportedly been frustration from the Barcelona staff over his struggles in beating his defenders in one-v-one situations and that has led to some concern.

As of now, it seems as though Dembele is more likely to have a long-term future at the club over Raphinha, but the Brazilian will want to change that when the season resumes on New Year’s Eve.