After failing to get Moussa Dembele’s signature in the midseason transfer window, Chelsea are reportedly again hot on his heels; this time with more intent and confidence. The Frenchman is easily one of the top strikers in Europe and is fancied by all the top clubs. And it seems that a gruelling bidding war is about to ensue this summer among Chelsea, AC Milan, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Blues wasted no time in bouncing back to the top of the Premier League after a season of disappointment before that and will want to challenge in Europe with all things set. However, there are still some big names linked with a move away from the squad this summer and the club’s top scorer Diego Costa is one of them.
The Spaniard has scored 20 goals and registered eight assists in the Premier League this season, and although he fell behind the likes of Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane, Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, he played a significant role in Chelsea’s title challenge.
But, he came dangerously close to leaving the Blues in January when the Chinese league came calling. It was followed by a goal drought immediately and Conte decided to look for a quality replacement. While Everton’s Romelu Lukaku tops the list of targeted strikers in the upcoming window, his £100 million price tag is a huge dampener.
Chelsea have priced Costa at £60 million hoping to coup most of Lukaku’s money from his sale. But, to their misfortune, Chinese Football Association has now announced ‘100 percent tax’ on foreign player spending. Chances of Lukaku coming look slim now and that brings them to the next best option, Moussa Dembele.
At just 20, the centre-forward has shown the potential of a world-class striker in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic. He has scored 32 goals and assisted nine times in 49 outings for Celtic in all competitions, playing a significant role in their invincible season. And while many would doubt his credential given Scotland’s poor competition even at the top level, Dembele’s Champions League tally proves them wrong.
He has managed to score three goals in six group stage games despite Celtic being pitted in the group of death against Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach. Dembele excels in dribbling, finishing and he can produce some of the most exquisite passes in the attacking third.
Unlike Diego Costa, who is more of a target man in the attack, Dembele can be much more participative alongside Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro in Chelsea’s front three. He is in many ways more than a perfect replacement for Costa, and at £40 million, a brilliant buy.
