Celtic have produced their fair share of youngsters over the years that have gone on to have productive careers, either at Parkhead or elsewhere.
For whatever reason, sometimes prodigious talents aren’t able to establish themselves at the reigning Scottish Premiership champions and choose to leave in favour of trying their luck in an alternative environment.
One man who would fall into this category is Karamoko Dembele, who left Celtic for Brest back in 2022 following several years of being heralded as one of the most exciting prospects to come through at Lennoxtown.
Despite going viral for making his debut for the Bhoys’ Under-20 side at just 13, he only managed to make ten senior appearances, registering a solitary goal at home to St Johnstone at the tail end of our forgettable 2020/21 campaign [Transfermarkt].
Now, Dembele is on loan at Blackpool, where he has begun to showcase his abilities regularly, scoring seven goals and recording 12 assists in 40 outings across all competitions.
The London-born man appears to have been able to put it all together and has been on hand to supply 15 big chances this term in the English third-tier [Sofascore].
In truth, there was an almost impossible weight of expectation on Dembele’s shoulders in Glasgow; nevertheless, it is nice to see the 22-year-old fulfil his potential south of the border.
Ex-Celtic man Karamoko Dembele attracts Premier League suitors
According to HITC, Dembele’s performances this season haven’t gone unnoticed by clubs further up the English footballing pyramid. Premier League quartet Everton, West Ham United, Fulham, and Nottingham Forest are all keen to secure his services this summer.
The report states that Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also keeping tabs on his situation; meanwhile, Sky Bet Championship sides Leicester City, Southampton, Leeds United and Middlesbrough have also made their interest known.
Dembele is under contract at parent club Brest until 2026, and it remains to be seen whether they would be willing to cash in on his growing popularity following an excellent spell at Bloomfield Road.
Leaving Celtic may have been a risky step for the winger to take that has taken a while to pay off; however, his talent is there for all to see and he now looks to be thriving.
Potentially, a money-spinning move to the Premier League for Dembele could now be in the works, though we will need to wait and see if that is the case come the summer.
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