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Why Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi Is A Warning Sign For Celtic Hotshot Moussa Dembele?

Moussa Dembele is one of the hottest properties in the transfer market with the biggest clubs across Europe all maintaining a strong interest in the Celtic striker. Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Chelsea have been watching the Frenchman closely, but it is Chelsea who are credited with the strongest interest, after having tried to bring in Dembele in the winter transfer window as well.

The former Fulham striker has been firing goals in at will for the Hoops this season and has notched up 29 strikes so far in 42 appearances, along with six assists. His inspirational performances for Brendan Rodgers’ side haven’t gone unnoticed and as a result the biggest clubs are circling around him.

But according to his agent, the 20-year old is not thinking about a move away from the Celtic Park and is willing to see out the rest of his contract with the Hoops. But what if the club receive an offer so substantial that they will look to cash in? While that could prove to be a tricky situation for the club hierarchy, one thing is clear that the best thing for Dembele at this stage of his career is to stay in Scotland, at least for another season.

And he does not have to look farther than Michy Batshuayi if he needs a hint as to what could happen post his transfer. The Belgian international moved to the Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2016 from French outfit Olympique Marseille for a fee in the range of £33 million, but has struggled to break into the first-team under manager Antonio Conte.

Michy Batshuayi has struggled for game time at Chelsea.
Michy Batshuayi has struggled for game time at Chelsea.

The 23-year old has featured 21 times for the Premier League champions-elect and has scored five goals and has further set up three more strikes this season, across along competitions. But what is a damning assessment of his time with the Blues is the fact that he hasn’t started a single game in the Premier League this term and has in total played only 93 minutes of top-flight football.

At the age of 23, the situation is not something that is ideal for the development and progress of the player. Batshuayi had a great season with Marseille last term and has proven his abilities each time he has been given an opportunity to showcase them by Conte. But those haven’t come on a regular basis and as a result his growth has stunted.

And it would be the same for Dembele if he joins up with the Londoners. There is bucket-loads of potential and the major clubs are right in tracking him, but for him to be able to continue his development, him staying in Scotland for at least another season or two is absolutely key. He may be extremely talented, but it would be foolish to think that he could get into the starting XI at any of these clubs; ahead of Robert Lewandowski at Bayern or Zlatan Ibrahimović at Manchester United or Diego Costa at Chelsea.

Dembele needs to stay at Celtic for few more seasons.
Dembele would benefit from staying at Celtic for few more seasons.

Going to a major club like Chelsea would mean that Dembele would spend most of his time on the sidelines, just like Batshuayi. The 20-year old is having a brilliant season with Celtic and is developing hugely under Rodgers. He has the pace, power and the skillset to become one of the finest strikers, but he is far from being the finished article.

At 20, Dembele still has a lot to learn, and improve upon. His link-up play can be improved upon, his preference for the right-foot is something that defenders will pick up on and he needs to develop his skill on the left-foot and all these things come only with experience. Celtic is the right place for him to earn that experience, under a manager who trusts him and backs his abilities to the hilt.

Being with the Hoops allows him to feature regularly in the Scottish Premiership and given their superiority in the league, more exposure in the Champions League is also a given, where he impressed heavily, scoring thrice in six games in Europe.

If he opts to stay at Celtic, Dembele will play a minimum of 50 games, including a handful of matches in Europe under Rodgers, which will play a great hand in his progress. While the club is under no pressure to sell Dembele, the silly-money that is being paid out in recent times may turn the head of the management, but as Rodgers has said before, developing Dembele would yield a bigger fee eventually, if he goes onto live up to his potential.

Considering all facts and looking at the bigger picture, an extended stay with Celtic will be the best possible option for the talented youngster to go forward with, if he is to continue playing regularly and continue his development. The giant clubs can wait.