La Liga side Villarreal want to sign Moussa Dembele from Scottish Premiership champions Celtic for £15million.
Villarreal need a new striker this summer with Cedric Bakambu having departed for China and Carlos Bacca only on loan from AC Milan.
Fortunately for the La Liga side, they have a cool £35 million to play with on the back of Bakambu’s January move to the Far East, and will use it trying to lure Moussa Dembele to the Castellon coast this summer.
It is understood that Brendan Rodgers is keen to keep Dembele but Celtic might sell if their valuation is met, although this is likely to be above the £15 million the Yellow Submarine are prepared to offer.
But even if Celtic do lose Dembele, signing a replacement for their France U21 ace will be easier said than done. So perhaps the Hoops should aim to lessen the trauma of Dembele’s departure by demanding that Villarreal include Enes Unal as part of the deal.
The powerful Turkish striker joined the Spanish side for £12 million from Manchester City last summer after an 18-goal loan spell at FC Twente in Holland. And Unal, who has something of an Ibrahimovic vibe about him, has scored five goals in 10 La Liga starts, including two poachers finishes in a 2-1 win against Atletico Madrid.
He is the kind of raw talent that Rodgers thrives on developing, like Dembele himself. And he has the power, hold-up play and skill to replace the Frenchman in Celtic’s attack.
So, with nothing to lose, the Scottish Premiership champions should play hardball with Villarreal.
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