Moussa Dembele opens up on his inconsistent form since quitting Celtic.
Moussa Dembele has defended his modest start to life in Ligue 1 since quitting Celtic.
Dembele fetched £19.7 million [Sky Sports] when Lyon signed him from Celtic on the final day of last summer’s transfer window.
But it hasn’t been a dream return to his homeland for the former Paris Saint-Germain youth star, who has netted only seven goals in 18 league appearances so far.
The 22-year-old had enjoyed two goal-laden seasons in Glasgow under Brendan Rodgers, netting 50 times across all competitions, and there was an expectation that he would perform better in France than he has done.
That being said, Dembele has been coming to life in recent weeks and he played a huge role in a 2-1 win over then-unbeaten PSG earlier this month, scoring and winning the penalty for another.
And the former Fulham ace insists that the football is on ‘another level’ to what it was in Scotland.
He told The Scottish Sun: “It certainly took me a bit of time, but I feel I am learning all the time. At Celtic, we had a lot of the ball and we played on the ground.
“But at Lyon, the football is at another level and it took time to adjust to it. It’s taken some time for me to make my mark, but I am getting there.”
Dembele could seriously announce himself to Lyon’s fanbase by inspiring what would be a shock win over Barcelona in the Champions League on February 19 – one of two games against the Spanish giants that he admits he is thinking about.
“I have been in good form recently and it would be nice to carry that on for the Champions League matches against Barcelona. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about those two games.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
