Celtic were unarguably the best side on the Scottish soil throughout the last campaign as they brutally breezed past almost all of their domestic opponents with relative ease. Under the stewardship of Brendan Rodgers, the Celts chiselled out scintillating outings and were remarkably consistent, as a result of which they inked their name on the Scottish Cup, League Cup and Scottish Premiership title.
It was riveting to see Rodgers making full use of the young guns at his disposal and giving them the requisite platform to thrive properly. One of the young guns who drew a large scale attention and dazzled the most out of the pool of blossoming starlets was their prolific striker in the shape of Moussa Dembele. The 21-year-old banged 32 goals in his first season with the Hoops and considering his meteoric rise, he was always going to be a subject of interest from other European heavyweights.
If the latest reports are to be believed, Ligue 1 giants Marseille are very keen to lure Dembele to Stade Velodrome this summer, with the poacher open to make the move if the Phocians could table Celtic’s £20million asking price. After the reports surfaced, he missed the training session with the club, and let’s not forget to mention that the likes of AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Everton also very keen to make him put pen to the contract paper. While the temptation to represent his national shirt might urge Dembele to make a move to Marseille, the Scottish champions are likely to leave themselves with a huge void to fill if the starlet actually leaves.
Dembele emerged through the youth ranks of US Cergy Clos, Paris Saint-Germain and Fulham and was eventually promoted to the senior side of the Cottagers. He proved to be a hit at Fulham and as a result, the Bhoys were quick to take proactive measures and succeeded in introducing him to the Celtic Park. Celtic might have erected a strong footing domestically and might appear to be miles ahead of the likes of Rangers and Aberdeen, but the former Liverpool boss is now aiming to better his side’s stature in the Champions League.
However, selling the Frenchman would be equal to taking two steps backwards after manoeuvring one forward. Dembele is a lethal attacker and is a clinical poacher inside the box. His strong physical presence gives him an added advantage and he couples it nicely with his shrewd movements, passing and dribbling skills. Even if the Glasgow based club bag a decent amount of money by striking him off their books, replacing him would be a huge cause of concern for Rodgers and is likely to deter their progress in the upcoming season.
