Celtic players Kieran Tierney and Dedryck Boyata have been linked with reunions with Brendan Rodgers.
After enjoying so much success at Celtic, it is probably little surprise that Brendan Rodgers appears to be interested in being reunited with one or two of his former players following his switch to Leicester City.
The Daily Mirror reported earlier this month that Dedryck Boyata is a target ahead of his Hoops contract expiring in the summer, while The Sun has suggested that the Foxes could bid for £25 million-rated Kieran Tierney if Ben Chilwell leaves.
Boyata’s contract situation has made his exit seem fairly inevitable for a long time, so there will be plenty of fans who will have already come to terms with the idea that the Belgian may well move on this summer.
Tierney’s exit would hurt however. The left-back is exactly the type of player that fans dream of cloning to create an entire team from. His attitude is first class, his quality is undeniable and no one could ever accuse him of not caring about Celtic.
The youngster leaving would be a huge blow, particularly if he leaves to link up with Rodgers. But with Chilwell in place at the King Power Stadium, there are clearly a number of hurdles to clear before Tierney joining the Foxes looks likely.
So perhaps the Celtic player that Hoops fans need to fear losing to Leicester most is actually one that has not been linked with the Foxes, and actually is yet to make his first-team debut.
Karamoko Dembele’s potential is no secret. The 16-year-old hit the headlines three years ago when he made his under-20s debut at the age of 13, and now he must surely be on the cusp of coming into Neil Lennon’s thinking for a senior chance at Parkhead.
Dembele appears to have the potential to achieve anything he wants in the game, and Celtic will probably be aware that it may not be too long before they are fielding serious offers for the midfielder.
While nothing has been reported to suggest that Rodgers could be interested in Dembele, it would arguably be no surprise if there were plenty of Premier League sides having a look – and Rodgers would look somewhat foolish if another top flight rival made a move and he did not encourage Leicester to do the same.
Losing Tierney to Leicester would be a bitter pill to swallow. But perhaps Celtic should not be surprised if Dembele becomes the player that Rodgers one day prioritises signing from his former club. And based on his potential, that could be an even bigger blow for the Hoops.
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