Liverpool have been linked with various players whom Jürgen Klopp may attempt to prise in January. As has become the norm, many of these linked players currently represent teams in the German Bundesliga. Christian Pulisic of Borussia Dortmund has been an interest of Klopp’s for sometime now, and, more recently, Bayer Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt has been raising his bespectacled eyes. Additionally, Celtic’s striker Moussa Dembélé has been linked with Liverpool, and the rumour appears to have some substance.
As a Glaswegian Liverpool fan, who follows Scottish football in addition to supporting the Reds, I am especially interested in this potential move for Dembélé. Having watched Dembélé on numerous occasions this season, I believe he could be a strong addition to the current group of players, especially with the hollowing of the squad’s depth with injuries to Ings, Sturridge and Coutinho and Mané’s absence over winter as he represents Senegal at the African Cup of Nations.
Dembélé is a strong, quick, aggressive centre-forward, capable of playing as a lone striker, as part of a striking partnership and can even be a threat when deployed to the left of the central attackers. Domestically, he has been ruthless for Celtic so far this season, scoring 7 goals in 13 league appearances. Three of such goals were secured in a hat-trick against fierce Glasgow rivals Rangers; it was the so-called ‘perfect hat-trick’ (header, right-foot, left-foot) and in completing it, he became the first Celtic player to score an Old Firm hat-trick since 1966. Moreover, the 20 year-old, netted in every round of Celtic’s league cup campaign; a competition they have already won by overcoming Aberdeen in last month’s final at Hampden Park. His tally in this competition included another against Rangers: he executed a delicate flick which secured Celtic’s place in the final. In the final itself, he dispatched a well-struck penalty to guarantee his side’s victory.
However, given the obvious gulf in quality between Scottish and English football, it is in European football that Scottish-based players must exhibit their qualities if they are seeking to develop their career in the English top-flight. Just as Dembélé has impressed domestically, he has also delivered on the European front, finding the net 5 times in 11 European appearances. In the Champions League qualifying rounds, the France under-21 striker converted a penalty against Kazakh champions FC Astana to win the tie for Celtic. In the following round versus champions of Israel Hapoel Be’er Sheva FC, he scored the fourth Celtic goal in a 5-2 victory at Parkhead. However, it has not just been in the qualifying rounds that Dembélé has impressed, he has also delivered in the Champions League proper, scoring goals in the most competitive group of the competition. Despite missing a penalty in the Camp Nou, he completed a brace against Manchester City in a thrilling 3-3 draw in Glasgow. Additionally, he won and converted a penalty in Germany against Liverpool’s long-time friends Borussia Mönchengladbach in a 1-1 sharing of the spoils. Furthermore, he has scored 4 goals in 4 appearances for the French under-21 side, including a brace against England in a 3-2 win for Les Bleus.
Given the aforementioned qualities, and the fact that Dembélé is only 20, suggest he would be a decent addition to Klopp’s attacking options. Anything that can aid Liverpool as they stride toward renewed glory will be welcomed by Koppites, and I believe Dembélé would fit such a profile if he switched Glasgow’s East End for Merseyside.
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