Premiership giants Celtic have started the season in good form, but one of the concerns that Neil Lennon will have is the lack of creativity that’s being provided by their wide players. James Forrest and Ryan Christie have both done decent enough jobs, but neither has managed to capture the imagination of the fanbase so far. Moreover, Mohamed Elyounoussi – the Norwegian attacker who was brought in on loan from Southampton for another season, has also not managed to produce the goods with any level of consistency.
The wide areas have been a concern since the season commenced, and this has forced Neil Lennon into switching to a back-three, with the full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Greg Taylor being tasked with providing most of the width.
The duo has been extremely offensive for the most part, as none of the other teams in the league can match up with the quality that they have going forward. Despite all of this, there is one Celtic youngster who is being slept on, largely because of his tender age – Karamoko Dembele. Although he has been a Parkhead player for several years, Celtic’s Karamoko Dembele can talk to other clubs in January.
How Has Karamoko Dembele Made A Name For Himself?
Karamoko Dembele is a 17-year-old English attacker who has been a Celtic player for a long time now. Having joined as a kid all the way back in 2013, the speedster’s development has occurred at a rapid pace, and despite the odd good performance, he’s yet to really earn a place in the first-team. Dembele rose up through the Celtic ranks at a decent pace, to the extent that he has even made a substitute appearance in the Premiership this season. However, how this hasn’t turned into an extended run in the teams is a question that only Neil Lennon and his staff could answer.
The speedster, despite being English by birth, has also featured for Scotland at the U17 level, while he is also eligible to play for the Ivory Coast national setup. He played a starring part in the Celts’ pre-season tour to France ahead of the current season, and thoroughly impressed the staff and fans alike. Despite still being only 17-years-old, the level of quality that he showed against the likes of Marseille and Lyon was commendable, to say the least. With that said though, Dembele could still be a source of concern to the Hoops in the coming months.
What Kind Of Player Is Karamoko Dembele?
The speedster is a right-winger by trade but is capable of operating on the opposite flank if required as well. Irrespective of which side he is playing, Dembele has the skill and ability required to take on defenders and deliver crosses from wide. Despite being rather diminutive in stature, the attacker’s low centre of gravity allows him to coast past defenders. Although he hasn’t been the most prolific goalscorer over the course of his short professional career, time in the first team and the right kind of nurturing has the potential to bring out that talent in him as well.
Celtic’s Karamoko Dembele Can Talk To Other Clubs In January: Should Lennon Tie Him Down?
The Englishman is one of the many promising youngsters that Celtic have in their academy, and keeping him at Parkhead beyond the current season is something they should treat with utmost importance. The football that he produced in pre-season deserved a proper look-in into the first-team. With just a year left on his contract, Dembele would be free to talk to other clubs about a pre-contract agreement in January, which is a situation that Celtic wouldn’t want to face. It would hence be in the best interest of both parties to tie him down to a new deal at the earlier possible opportunity.
