With the future of Portuguese sensation Jota still rather unclear, it would be a good idea for Celtic and Ange Postecoglou to target some alternatives.
It’s thought the Hoops have an agreement with Benfica to land the forward for £6.5m but whether he does actually decide to sign on the dotted line in Glasgow for a longer stay remains to be seen.
What’s the word?
Fortunately, Celtic do have one potential trick up their sleeve with Iranian international Mehdi Ghayedi linked with a move to Scotland.
Yet, there could be another player still in their crosshairs from last year; Siriki Dembele.
The Peterborough attacker has been a long-term target for Celtic and could be on the move this year according to various reports.
Should Celtic sign Siriki Dembele?
Yes!
No!
Football League World claimed ten days ago that Posh were willing to let some of their key players, including Dembele, walk away.
Football Insider then reported this weekend that the Championship side had rejected two offers for the 25-year-old from Bournemouth.
Better than Abada
After the arrival of Daizen Maeda this January, it’s not as though Celtic are crying out for new offensive players.
Yet, with Jota’s future up in the air, the idea of signing Dembele could become a very real possibility.
Previously a target when Peterborough were in League One, he’s now enjoying life in the second tier where he has continued to show what he’s all about.
The brother of Karamoko Dembele has scored five times and also registered two assists, showing an ability to adapt to a better division.
It was in the third tier where he really made his name, scoring 11 and assisting 12 on his way to achieving promotion last term. All of that has seen him take his senior tally to an impressive 34 strikes.
Those types of numbers are incredibly eye-catching and with Liel Abada enduring a rather topsy-turvy stint in Scotland so far, Dembele would surely represent an upgrade.
Abada scores a delightful goal in the cup on Saturday against Alloa Athletic and is in a solid run of form at the moment, bagging twice against St Johnstone prior to the winter break.
A tally of 11 goals and eight assists is eye-catching this term but it doesn’t tell the full story of someone who has ultimately been inconsistent.
After all, between early October and the middle of December, the Israeli failed to score in nine consecutive league outings.
Dembele, however, has proven his consistency in the past and also has an abundance of tricks in his locker.
Hailed for his “dazzling” dribbling by Barry Fry, he’d have the ability to beat defenders on a far more regular basis than Abada. The Posh forward has registered a mighty 2.7 successful dribbles per game this term compared to the 0.6 achieved by Celtic’s summer signing.
As a result, Postecoglou could discover an increased sense of dynamism in his squad by making a late swoop for Dembele; it may just make the difference in their bid to win the title.
AND in other news, “Fee is already agreed”: Guidi drops big Celtic transfer update, fans will be buzzing…
