French winger Dembele joins PSG as a contender for the No. 1 spot

French international winger Ousmane Dembele has joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the club where Lee Kang-in plays.

“Dembele joins from FC Barcelona,” PSG announced on its website on Wednesday, “and will play with the club for the next five seasons, wearing the number 23.”

Dembele, who played for Dortmund in the German Bundesliga, signed a five-year contract with Barcelona in 2017 for a transfer fee of more than 100 million euros ($145.8 million).

With Barcelona, Dembele scored 40 goals and provided 43 assists in 185 official games. He also won three Spanish Primera Liga titles and two cups.

However, frequent injuries and criticism that he wasn’t living up to his transfer fee eventually led to his departure.

Dembele is a winger who is known for his dribbling skills with both feet and his darting runs.

He was called up to the French national team and played at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and Qatar 2022.

For the national team, he made 37 appearances in A-matches (international matches), scoring four goals.

He’s played mostly as a second-choice flanker for both his club and national teams, so his position overlaps with Lee Kang-in, the “future of Korean soccer. 안전놀이터

However, it’s hard to say that Dembele will remain just a competitor for Lee at this point.

With Neymar, the mainstay of the second attacking line, widely expected to leave the club, Lee and Dembele could play on both flanks depending on the situation.

There’s also the fact that star striker Kylian Mbappe is in a bitter dispute with the club over a contract extension.

It’s entirely possible that Mbappe could be replaced by the more attack-minded Dembele up front, with Lee playing further down the field in midfield.

PSG kicks off the 2023-2024 season with a home opener against Lorient at 4 a.m. on Sept. 13.