Celtic striker Moussa Dembele annoyed many with his actions against Rangers.
Pundit Kris Commons has told the Daily Mail that he thinks Celtic striker Moussa Dembele disrespected his teammates against Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
The Bhoys took on Old Firm rivals Rangers last weekend, and played out a 0-0 draw at Celtic Park, as both sides squandered great chances to win the game.
After the build-up to the game dominated the headlines in Scotland, the fallout has also been discussed at length in recent days – including the actions of Celtic striker Moussa Dembele.
Dembele was substituted after 61 minutes in favour of Leigh Griffiths, and went straight down the tunnel rather than sit on the bench, before returning from the changing rooms to watch the rest of the game.
Dembele’s decision to go straight down the tunnel has been criticised this week, and pundit Kris Commons hasn’t held back in his verdict on the Frenchman.
Commons has told the Daily Mail that he thinks Dembele’s head is elsewhere right now amid speculation over his future, and believes that Celtic may need to cash in this month.
Commons noted that Dembele disrespected his teammates by not bothering to stay on the bench after his substitution, and if he doesn’t want to play for Celtic anymore, then it’s time to go.
“Moussa Dembele’s head is away. The way he behaved after being substituted on Saturday perhaps proved that,” said Commons. “Perhaps his head is away and he wants to leave. That really struck me — that probably his time is up. I think there will be little rumbles in the changing room, because it was very, very strange that he did it. But if his head’s away, it shows me that he’s not all that bothered by the outcome of the game.”
“Whether we are reading too much into it or not, I don’t think the players will be very happy with Moussa doing that while a game of that importance is going on. It obviously raises the important question of what happens next. First of all, I need to say that Moussa is a terrific prospect with all of the attributes to be a top, top player — if he’s playing every week. He’s had a few injury problems with his hamstrings. But, from a development side of things, Celtic are still perfect for him to learn his trade. Brendan Rodgers is such a good manager that, if he stays, Moussa can keep on improving.”
“But if he feels that he wants to go and play in the Premier League and the money is right, nobody is going to stand in his way. If he wants to go, there’s no point in holding on to him — provided the price is right. I’m sure, if a bid comes in, Brendan, Peter Lawwell and the chairman will consider all the factors. But he’s a player who has clearly expressed a desire to leave the club. We need to come up with a price that will be acceptable to say: ‘Yep, Moussa, you’re on your way.’ They’re not going to let him go on the cheap. Unless someone comes in with the money, he will have to sit tight and play ball,” he added.
Dembele has hit 40 goals in 70 games since joining Celtic from Fulham in 2016, and his goal return has unsurprisingly sparked interest in his signature from clubs in the Premier League.
The Mirror recently reported that Brighton, Everton and West Ham are all keen to sign Dembele, and those teams may have some hope of landing him after his apparent displeasure against Rangers.
Celtic won’t want to sell in the middle of the season though, and it may take a big offer – at least £25million – to tempt Celtic into selling their prized asset, even if he is somewhat unhappy.
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