Ousmane Dembele hasn't enjoyed an easy ride at Barcelona since his blockbuster €145 million move from Borussia Dortmund this summer.

Just five appearances into his move to the Blaugrana and the Frenchman spent 107 days on the touchline with a thigh muscle rupture, before missing another month of action almost as soon as he returned in the New Year.

So far, the 20-year-old has accumulated 13 appearances for the club and still awaits his first goal for the club, despite grabbing himself three assists.

Furthermore, a report by Cadena SER even suggested that Dembele was stirring concerns in the Barcelona dressing room with an alleged fast-food diet and love for the Catalan nightlife.

Nevertheless, Dembele attracted a fair amount of attention for his performance against Malaga on Sunday and it really has people in Spain talking.

Dembele delivers his finest performance at Barcelona

Many fans considered it the winger's best showing in a Barcelona jersey and he provided a brilliant assist for Philippe Coutinho, who opened the scoring with a deft back-heel.

It was an opinion reflected by Spanish publications Marca and Sport who both published features proclaiming that Dembele had finally turned a corner. For Barcelona fans, it will be the news they've all been waiting for with the Frenchman's price tag and early form breeding skepticism.

In Sport, it was written: "Yesterday he played his best minutes as a Barcelona player.

'Liberated from weight of living up to Messi'

"And the most exciting thing was not what he did, but the potential of what he could one day be. Above all in the first half when he played with true daring.

"Maybe liberated from the weight of having to live up to Messi's expectations.

"The Frenchman was a nightmare for the defenders because being ambidextrous allows him to go inside and out and because he is a great assistant."

As for Marca, they drove home Dembele's chemistry with fellow summer signing Coutinho and reckons the pair may have forged a deadly partnership.

Establishing a brilliant partnership with Coutinho

"In a game that was a piece of cake for Barcelona, the best part of the night was the connection between Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele," Luis Rojo penned.

"However, against Malaga, just before the half-hour, the two conjured up an extraordinary play that culminated in the second goal. Dembele's pace got him in position and a low driven cross found Coutinho, who back-heeled the ball home. It was, without a doubt, their best performances since they arrived."

So, maybe we're finally beginning to see the best of one of football's most exciting young prospects and in tandem with none other than Coutinho.

While he may not be the long-term Messi replacement that some have touted him to be, flickers of what he can achieve in a Barcelona shirt are beginning to shine. The future looks bright.

Who would you rather have in your team - Mbappe or Dembele? Have your say in the comments section below.