Ex-Celtic boss Ronny Deila wanted to sign the Frenchman.
Ronny Deila has told The Glasgow Evening Times that he had identified striker Moussa Dembele as a target six months before the 21-year-old ended up joining Celtic.
The Norwegian manager quit Celtic in May 2016 and was ultimately replaced by Brendan Rodgers.
Rodgers paid just £500,000 to sign Dembele from Fulham, with the 21-year-old going on to hit the 30-goal mark in his first season with the Hoops last term.
Nevertheless, Deila, who won two Premiership titles during his two-year spell at Parkhead, reveals to The GET that he would have tried to signing him in the summer, had he not left Glasgow.
“In the January transfer window we had identified Moussa as a player that we would like but we knew that it wouldn’t happen at that point in the season.
“The aim was also to get him in over the summer. We thought he was a good, young, talented player and it was nice for me last season to see the impact he had at Celtic.
“He was outstanding but I never look and think what might have been.”
He may or may not have ended up at Celtic regardless, but Rodgers certainly deserves a lot of credit for how he has managed the youngster.
He was an outstanding asset for the Hoops last season and it is difficult to imagine that Deila would have got more out of him than his Northern Irish counterpart last term.
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