Celtic are reportedly keen on French striker Moussa Dembele, battling the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Southampton for his signature.
Moussa Dembele celebrates scoring for Fulham
According to the Daily Mail, Celtic are interested in bringing Moussa Dembele to Scotland, with his Fulham contract set to expire in a matter of days.
New Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has yet to make a new signing since being appointed Bhoys manager last month, but he’s being linked with a host of new faces.
Now, the Daily Mail report that Rodgers has set his sights on bringing Fulham striker Moussa Dembele to Celtic, having enjoyed a superb season with the West London squad.
The former Paris Saint-Germain ace hit 17 goals in all competitions last season, with the 19-year-old earning quite the reputation at Craven Cottage – and unsurprisingly drawing interest from big clubs.
The report claims that Arsenal, Liverpool, Southampton and Tottenham have all registered an interest in signing Dembele, but Rodgers is ready to take on the Premier League giants in a bid to bring Dembele to Celtic Park this summer.
A move would be particularly appealing for Celtic given the compensation laws involved. Dembele’s contract with Fulham expires at the end of the month, and whilst English clubs would be forced to pay huge compensation to land the player, Celtic could exploit a loophole.
Much like when Rangers landed Jordan Rossiter from Liverpool earlier this summer, a player under the age of 23 heading to Scotland requires a much lower level of compensation than if an English club signs them, with a fee just £250,000 involved.
That’s a bargain for Celtic, and landing a teenage striker in a cut-price deal after a 17-goal season could be a great way to start Rodgers’ transfer activity – and the lure of more first-team football with the Bhoys could help Celtic beat Premier League clubs to Dembele’s signature.
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