Celtic youngster Karamoko Dembele has been the subject of late January transfer interest.
Dembele has made just a few appearances for the Hoops since making his debut towards the end of last season but it appears Lennon is perfectly happy with his current development plan at the club.
As reported by The Daily Record, Gillingham manager Steve Evans personally knows the player having worked with his brother Sirki previously at Peterborough and had hoped that relationship could see a deal go through.
However, Lennon thinks the best place for him right now is Celtic Park.
As quoted by Sky Sports, the Hoops boss said: “They made an enquiry about it and it was turned down.
“I think this is the best place for him. We know of his capabilities, we know of his talent. We are very excited about him but he is just going to turn 17 soon.
“We have to protect him and we have a duty of care with him in terms of his development but we want it here.”
Dembele was most recently in action for the club against Ross County at the weekend, coming off the bench in the second half.
It seems clear that he could be in line for even more minutes between now and the end of the season, especially in the wake of news that Mikey Johnston has suffered a long-term injury (Sky Sports).
Celtic fans certainly don’t want to see him head to English League One, taking to Twitter today to share their thoughts on it all…
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