The environment that Ousmane Dembélé grew up in and the environment that FC Barcelona seeks to engulf its youngsters with could not be more different.
"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."
Ousmane hasn’t had the advantages that La Masia youngsters have had. That’s why he’s Ousmane.
Like every youngster, he fought to stand out amid a talented group of players, the majority of which would fail to go pro.
However, his football education was the polar opposite to that of La Masia.
That’s why Barça produce certain types of 20-year-olds like a factory line. It’s also why Barça spent €145m on a 20-year-old Ousmane.
Ousmane asked to leave; Rennes refused. And so, with Salzburg, City, and Barça interested in his signature, he refused to train in the summer of 2015.
That season, he would announce himself as one of the most exciting teenagers in Europe.
Just as he had done two summers prior, Ousmane skipped training to push for a move. This time, he was successful.
This would be the first of many hiccups in his Barcelona career.
His on-the-field issues persisted, but eventually, he matured.
He carries the weight of his mom, who moved the family from Mauritania in 2007 in search of a better life, who moved the family to Rennes to support him, who took him to every training session.