As reported by The Daily Mail, a number of clubs are chasing Celtic’s Moussa Dembele this summer. AC Milan, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Marseille all want the 32-goal man this summer and that line-up could test the Hoops’ resolve with some mega-money bids in the upcoming transfer window.
Brendan Rodgers would probably like to keep the young Frenchman but ultimately tens of millions of pounds could prove too tempting for a club that has always looked to maximise the value of their assets.
If Dembele does leave, it would be a blow to fans who have taken him to their hearts over the last season. He scored huge goals on huge occasions and generally showed an ability beyond most that have come through the club in recent years.
The money the Hoops receive for the 20-year-old will likely be big and so they will be in a position to bring in a heavyweight replacement to appease supporters’ concern and ensure there are no blips on their quest to become a force in Europe again.
Here are FOUR strikers we reckon they should be targeting in case their star striker leaves…
Sardar Azmoun
22-year-old Iranian Sardar Azmoun isn’t exactly a household name in Scotland but he’s been making a name for himself in Russia this season, not just for his domestic performances but his exploits in Europe too. Currently at FC Rostov, he was a big part of their European run that saw them deep into the knockout stages of the Europa League. That progress came from a third place finish in the UEFA Champions League, where they faced off agains the likes of Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid. Azmoun scored five times in Europe including against both sides mentioned.
He may not have had the prolific 32-goal campaign Moussa Dembele just experience, scoring just 12 in comparison, but those goals in Europe show he may possess the potential that could fill Dembele’s boots.
He’s also been excellent for his country over the years, scoring a massive 17 goals in 22 caps for Iran.
Harry Wilson
Wilson scored a massive 28 goals from out wide last season for the Liverpool U23s and his progress was rewarded when he made his first team debut in the FA Cup earlier this year in the Reds’ replay against Plymouth Argyle. He’s regarded highly enough at the club to have been handed captaincy of that U23s side.
He also became the youngest every player in Wales history when he made his debut for the senior national side at the age of just 16 against Belgium in 2013.
The 20-year-old needs competitive action to bring his game to the next level and at Celtic has that chance alongside working under an elite manager and the chance of playing UEFA Champions League football.
He may not be a like for like replacement for the young Frenchman but clearly has the goalscoring ability to be prolific and could perhaps work well with the likes of Leigh Griffiths and Scott Sinclair already at the club.
Viktor Fischer
Once tipped for massive things while emerging onto the scene at Ajax, Viktor Fischer hasn’t quite lived up to that potential after a move to the English Premier League with Middlesbrough. Again, like Harry Wilson, he may not be the like for like replacement for Moussa Dembele but would certainly offer plenty of attacking threat and has the versatility to play across the Hoops frontline.
It’s his form for Ajax that fans can get most excited by. Making his debut at the age of 18, he went on to score 33 goals in 111 appearances before moving to England.
Perhaps crucially, he made 20 appearances for Ajax in UEFA competition, meaning the Hoops would be getting a player ready to make the step up to continental competition.
At just 22 years of age, he has plenty of room to grow into an even better player than he is and working with an elite coach like Brendan Rodgers could be the making of him.
Cyle Larin
At 6ft 2in tall and a preference to play through the middle, Larin would be much more of a direct replacement for Moussa Dembele than some of the names on the list and has the goalscoring chops to match too.
Scoring 40 goals in 75 appearances for Orlando City in Major League Soccer, he’s been one of the most lethal attackers in America in recent seasons. In the 2017 season he’s continuing to enhance that reputation with 8 goals in 14 appearances.
Like all the players mentioned so far he’s young, still just 22 years of age, and fits right into Celtic’s wheelhouse of having potential but not quite yet having made the step up to a massive club.
A Canadian international, players from North America don’t often make a big splash in Europe but in this case, should they move for him, Celtic could be onto a winner.