Pundits Alan Brazil and Ray Wilkins have delivered their verdict on speculation linking Celtic striker Moussa Dembele to West Ham United.
The Hammers are enduring a poor second season under Slaven Bilic and are desperate for more firepower in the January transfer window.
The club has been linked with moves for Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe, Brentford’s Scott Hogan and Celtic star Moussa Dembele.
According to the Daily Mail, the Bhoys have told West Ham they will have to pay £30million to land a player they signed for a mere £500,000 in compensation to Fulham less than six months ago.
Celtic’s Moussa Dembele
The Mail claims, West Ham have held talks with Celtic about Dembele this week and indicated they were willing to offer £20m.
Celtic insist it was not a formal bid and will demand a much higher figure for the 20-year-old, who has scored 19 goals in 36 games.
Now talkSPORT presenter and Celtic fan Alan Brazil and former Fulham assistant manager Ray Wilkins have had their say on the potential move.
“Dembele, this is an interesting one for me,” Brazil said on his Sports Breakfast show.
“For me, I think he’s got pace, he’s got strength, he’s clearly got a goal in him that’s for sure, how good is he because let’s go back to your time at Fulham.”
Dembele celebrates
Wilkins said: “He was almost half the size, he really has built himself up into a bit of a unit and full credit to him for doing so.
“I watched him 12 months ago when he was at Fulham and I thought he probably needs a bit of a rocket up his backside.
“He wasn’t working working hard enough… there was a lack of work ethic.
“Since being at Celtic, I think obviously the crowd determines what happens at big clubs like that and they’ve made him work and he’s worked wonderfully well and he looks a super player I’ve got to say.
“Scoring goals for fun… he’s doing wonderfully well with Brendan (Rodgers) and I hope that continues but I imagine if that does continue they’ll lose him.”
Some West Ham fans are still upset with owners David Sullivan and David Gold after they failed to deliver the promised marquee striker signing in the summer.
Only Edimilson Fernandes has made any kind of positive impact from the 10 players signed on a variety of cheap free transfers or loan deals which have diluted Bilic’s squad this season.
Many supporters feel such public talk of big spending from experienced football club owners was merely a ploy to sell season tickets – and it worked with 52,000 Hammers fans signing up for the first season at their new Olympic Stadium home, second only to Manchester United.
Those fans are very much of the opinion ‘we’ll believe it when we see it’ over the likes of Dembele and are refusing to get caught up in the current transfer talk swirling around the club.
Celtic will also have the added carrot of Champions League football to offer former Paris St Germain starlet Dembele next season, something the Hammers simply cannot match.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
