Ousmane Dembélé may be the most coveted 18-year-old in world football, but any club hoping to prise him from Rennes must first convince his mother, Fatimata. 'She is who will decide Ousmane's future,' says his agent, Badou Sambagué. 'When he wanted to leave last summer, his mother told him she wanted him to stay at Rennes and sign his first professional contract. In the end he had no choice.'
Dembélé scored his 10th league goal of the season last Friday as Rennes thrashed Marseille 5-2, making him the youngest player in Ligue 1 history to reach that mark—quicker than both Thierry Henry and Anthony Martial. His assist for Giovanni Sio's goal further underlined his talent, with scouts from a host of top European clubs watching.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham are among his Premier League suitors, while reports in France claim Bayern Munich have already secured a deal to loan him back to Rennes next season. Sambagué denies any agreement, but with bidding expected to start at around £25m, he knows keeping the teenager grounded will be a challenge.
'It's very important for him to only think about playing football,' says Sambagué, a former Mali international who grew up in the same block of flats as Dembélé in Évreux. 'I always explain to him that he has an opportunity to become a good example and make a good choice.'
Despite limited first-team appearances last season, offers flooded in, including from Red Bull Salzburg and Manchester City. But Dembélé had promised his mother he would sign a professional contract with Rennes, the club he joined at age 13. 'He has a dream to become a good player, step by step,' adds Sambagué. 'It's not to go to a big club and just be forgotten about.'
