Brighton are preparing a club record £18million bid for Celtic star Moussa Dembele and hope to tempt the striker with the promise of regular Premier League football, according to the Daily Mail.
They are said to be willing to sweeten the deal for the Hoops by inserting a 10% sell-on clause for the French star, who is widely reported to be on his way out of Parkhead next month.
The Seagulls believe they may be able to gain pole position in the race for the 21-year-old with the guarantee of first-team minutes in the English top-flight.
They are also reportedly willing to accept their position as a stepping stone for Dembele’s career by including a rescission clause that would trigger a move to a big club should they come calling.
The fee would be a club record for Brighton, having previously paid £13.5million in the summer for Jose Izquierdo.
Good move for Celtic?
In a word, no. Any deal to take their star man away from Celtic Park would be bad for the club.
However, Dembele’s exit from Glasgow is beginning to take on an air of inevitability, and that forces a different view on the situation.
In the scheme of things, and from a financial standpoint, this would be a decent deal for Celtic.
Brighton’s offer of £18million may be slightly low, but the 10% sell-on clause could see the Hoops in line for a big windfall in the future if Dembele continues his goalscoring exploits down south.
And with Brighton already accepting of their potential status as a stepping stone for the 21-year-old, Celtic may even be able to sweeten the deal even further.
This is Futbol rating: 5/10
Likely to happen?
It is yet to be seen exactly what Dembele wants to do in January, which at this point is what everything boils down to.
The player has suggested, as quoted by the Mail, that he plans to stay at Parkhead, but also admitted (in the same sentence) that plans can change.
If he is excited and attracted by the prospect of regular Premier League football, then Brighton look to be a good option before the World Cup in the summer.
He may however be looking higher than that, and think he is ready for a real step up, to a top European club, at which point a move to the Seagulls would be out of the question.
This is Futbol rating: 5/10