MOUSSA Dembele’s market value will no doubt shoot up considerably as a result of his well-taken second-half penalty in Celtic’s emphatic victory over Aberdeen in the Betfred Cup final at Hampden yesterday.
Barely a day goes by, after all, without the prolific French striker being linked with a move to a club in England, or further afield in Europe, for some exorbitant sum. His latest goal, even if it was scored from the spot, should simply fuel the speculation further.
The 20-year-old, who stressed after the 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League in midweek that he intends to stay for the foreseeable future, has now netted 17 times in just 27 appearances and is certain to be the subject of a few offers during the January transfer window.
However, will Tom Rogic’s latest stunning strike and exceptional all-round display in the 3-0 victory over Derek McInnes’s side not tempt any interested parties to table a bid for him in the near future? It would be no great surprise if they did.
The 23-year-old’s performances have, due to those of the prodigiously-talented Dembele, been overshadowed during the 2016/17 campaign, but they have been every bit as impressive.
The Australian internationalist’s opening goal against Aberdeen yesterday, a typically flamboyant effort, was his ninth this term and gave his side an edge over their rivals which they never relinquished. It was, too, his deft pass to James Forrest in the second half which won the penalty that Dembele netted from.
It took Rogic time to settle in Scotland. He failed to justify the hype which surrounded him when he first arrived in this country aged just 19 three years ago and he subsequently struggled with injuries. He only finally established himself last season.
The 23-times capped player, who is now a regular in his national team as well as his club side, signed a new three year contract earlier this season and has no particular desire to move on now he has finally put his difficulties behind him. He is admired by his manager, liked by his team mates and adored by supporters.
Yet, there is sure to be interest in an increasingly influential player from down south. He was strongly linked with a move to English Championship club Leeds United at the end of last season. There are sure to be other potential suitors, including in the Premier League, monitoring his progress with interest.
Rogic has a perplexing inability to last the full game and at times appears to struggle with the high-pressing game which Brendan Rodgers demands his charges produce. He has, not to put too fine a point on it, looked dead on his feet towards the end of matches this season, in Europe in particular.
But if he can improve his physical fitness and stamina in the future then Celtic will be fielding a growing number of calls about the availability of an entertaining player who excites crowds, unlocks defences and wins games single-handedly with moments of magic like the one we witnessed yesterday,
AND ANOTHER THING
Mark Warburton and Rangers have, with Ladbrokes Premiership games against Hearts away at Tynecastle on Wednesday night, Aberdeen at Ibrox on Saturday and then Hearts at Ibrox the following Saturday, a huge fortnight coming up.
Their dramatic 2-1 win over Partick Thistle at Firhill at the weekend meant they jumped two points in front of Aberdeen, who have played a game less than them, and into second spot in the top flight table.
Win their forthcoming fixtures over the third and fourth-placed teams in the division and they will go a long way towards achieving the objective laid down by Rangers chairman Dave King – a runners-up finish and a place in the Europa League.
But lose ground in their bid to the best of the rest in Scottish football and the pressure on Warburton will increase significantly.
ONE LAST THING
One of Henrik Larsson’s many strengths as a player was his refusal to be deterred by setbacks. Whenever he missed a chance, had a shot saved or was tackled as he bore down on goal, he got straight up and redoubled his efforts.
It is, though, very difficult to see the 45-year-old returning to management in the future after his latest disappointment with his home town club Helsingborgs this season. His record in the dugout is far from impressive.
In Larsson’s three years with Landskrona his side were fifth, tenth and sixth in the second tier and failed to secure promotion, Falkenbergs ended up 13th in the top flight in his solitary season there while Helsingborgs were last week relegated after finishing 14th.
It looks decidedly as if the Celtic legend, who stood down from his latest position last week, is set to join the lengthy list of great players who were unable to enjoy a similar level of success in management.
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