Ousmane Dembele's contract at Barcelona expires at the end of the season, and it's likely he will not extend it. It appears that the Catalans will look to sign a replacement next summer, and we believe that Ajax's winger Antony is one of the best candidates. Here's why.
1. Fits the system
Ajax currently play one of the best brands of attacking football in Europe: controlling the ball, pressing high and creating loads of chances. This is very similar to what Xavi is trying to build at Barca, so Antony would not only fit in perfectly, he could actually help us reach that level quicker.
Xavi prefers his wingers to stay wide to help stretch the defence, and the Brazilian does exactly that. His heatmap is very similar to Ousmane's.
Dembele's heatmap
Antony's heatmap
He is also speedy and a good dribbler, which the Catalan coach also values. On average, Antony records 1.9 successful dribbles per game. Admittedly, this is less than Dembele (2.3), but Antony's completion rate is higher (62% vs 58%) meaning that he loses the ball less often.
2. Easily outscores Dembele
This term so far, Antony has scored eight goals in 19 games for Ajax. He's already close to matching his record from last term when he scored 10 goals in 46 games.
His increasing goal tally stems from his tendency to shoot. He averages 3 shots per game, one on target. Dembele, in comparison, registers 2.8 shots per game and just 0.2 on target.
Check out Antony's goals and skills from last year.
3. Creates a lot of chances for Ajax
Antony also plays a huge role in generating chances at Ajax. Over the last two seasons, the Brazilian has provided 15 assists.
He averages 1.4 key passes and 0.4 successful crosses per game. Dembele is better in this department (1.7 and 1.8 respectively), but we have to note that, normally, Dusan Tadic is the one leading Ajax's attack and not Antony.
4. Shouldn't cost a fortune
The 21-year-old is valued at €35m by Transfermarkt, and he has a contract until 2025. It's clear that Barca would have to pay above that, but with the money saved on Dembele's salary and some potential sales, it shouldn't be a problem rising that money.
And the Brazilian is unlikely to request the same astronomical salary Ousmane wants.
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