Breaking Down Where Ousmane Dembele Would Fit in at Bayern Munich

As the summer transfer window approaches, Rennes starlet Ousmane Dembele has emerged as one of the hottest commodities.

Amid a slew of transfer rumors, ESPN's Peter O'Rourke reported in March that a source close to the club revealed Manchester City will fall short in their efforts to sign the 18-year-old, who instead is set to join Bayern Munich.

The player later denied having met with Bayern (via Infosport, h/t ESPN's Mark Rodden), insisting: "I'm at Rennes for three more years."

But the German giants have historically been very persuasive and have rarely missed out on a player they've wanted. And it makes sense they would pursue Dembele to add to their ranks at this point.

Looking at Dembele, the first thing a Bayern fan might think of is Kingsley Coman. The two are very similar in background (both are French and spent their early years in Ligue 1) and their skill set. Both are wingers, relying on blistering pace and explosive acceleration to beat their markers, and both have great dribbling ability.

Yet Dembele and Coman aren't copies of one another. Whereas the Bayern loanee appears more athletic, Dembele's touch and skills are more refined, especially for his age. He not only has pace, but also genuine dribbling talent and great ball control.

The Rennes man also appears to have developed his finishing a bit better; he's scored 12 goals in Ligue 1 this season, with five assists. Coman's goals-to-assists ratio is almost the exact reciprocal. So in that regard, the two are quite complementary to one another.

Looking at the Bayern lineup, it's easy to see how Dembele could fit into the club's short- and long-term plans. Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben have been vital for the Bavarians over the majority of the last decade, but with the former 33 and the latter 32 years of age, Bayern have quite clearly begun to start thinking of replacing them. That's why Coman and Douglas Costa were brought in last summer.

Yet it isn't enough to simply assume Costa and Coman can and will be the next Ribery and Robben. In fact, Ribery and Robben weren't even Ribery and Robben as we know them until the spring of 2013, in their fourth season playing together.

Even a year before they combined twice to push Bayern to UEFA Champions League glory, Robben missed two critical penalties and Bayern finished runners-up in three competitions. Yet in 2013, their heroics led Bayern to a treble.

Club legends are rare, so to assume Costa and Coman, after less than one season of playing at a high level, will be able to step into Ribery and Robben's boots is to bet against the odds. It's always good to have another option.

That option until now has been Mario Gotze, but the 23-year-old has struggled in Munich and could well leave this summer.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Schwabische Zeitung (h/t ESPN's Stephan Uersfeld) last week Gotze's future will be discussed after the season, amid links to Liverpool and his former club Borussia Dortmund. If Gotze leaves, there will be room for another attacking player in the Bayern squad.

To that end, Dembele is a perfect signing. Only a year younger than Coman, he can challenge his compatriot for playing time but won't expect to start every game. Not at first, at least. And in the long run, it could be that Coman and Dembele start for Bayern (and France, for that matter) on the wings.

Dembele seems to prefer the left and Coman the right, and despite being in the prime of his career, Costa will be turning 30 the year Dembele celebrates his 23rd birthday. So provided Gotze leaves and he takes his chances, there is a foreseeable future for Dembele at Bayern.

@Mr_Bundesliga