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What's the story?
Celtic are aware that Moussa Dembele wants to leave and Metro believes that the striker will be allowed to leave if the right offer comes. Meanwhile, Chelsea are monitoring his situation and are planning whether to lodge a bid for Dembele or not.
In case you didn't know...
Chelsea were looking to bring the 21-year old to Stamford Bridge in January. But they did not follow up with a concrete offer. Dortmund were also interested in the Celtic striker as there were reports that Aubameyang was likely to leave this summer.
The 21-year old is regarded as an exciting prospect in Europe currently. The Frenchman scored 32 goals in 48 games in all competition last season and played a key role in Celtic winning the Scottish League.
Celtic signed him last season from Fulham for just £500,000 and he enjoyed a great season under Rodgers.
The heart of the matter
With Aubameyang not leaving, Dortmund have pulled out of the race. This puts Chelsea as the front-runners to sign the youngster. It is also claimed that the French international is eager to move to England or Germany.
Celtic manager, Brendon Rodgers, had previously stated that Dembele is a very important player for the club. But it is believed that the ex-Liverpool manager would be ready to sell him for around £40m.
What's next?
The Blues have already spent a club record fee, £60m for Alvaro Morata. And they are continuously looking for a backup option. With Costa almost certain to leave, reports also suggest that Michy might be looking to go on a loan in search for more game time.
This has led to Chelsea being linked with the likes of Llorente and Benteke for a second choice no.9 as Conte is keen on adding another striker to his squad before the start of the next season.
Llorente may seem hard to get as Swansea do not want to let their star player leave, whose goals helped them avoid relegation last season. With Benteke, nothing concrete seems to have developed after it was reported that Chelsea are interested in him.
For Dembele though, Celtic are ready to let him go for a £40m offer.
Author's take
Dembele can be a good addition to Conte's squad. He is young and dynamic and has proven his worth last season.
However, one should not forget that it has just been one season and he has a long way to go as playing the Scottish League and playing in the Premier League is completely different.
