Brighton prepare £18m bid for Celtic striker Moussa Dembele with the promise of Premier League football
- Brighton will force themselves to the front of the queue to sign Moussa Dembele
- The south-coast club believe they can persuade Dembele to join them
- Chris Hughton is in a position to offer the striker regular Premier League football
Brighton will force themselves to the front of the queue in the race for Moussa Dembele this week with the promise of regular English top-flight first-team football to the striker and an £18million offer to Celtic.
The south-coast club believe they can persuade Dembele to snub the big guns because of guaranteed starts for a team requiring the Frenchman’s power to fire them to Premier League safety.
Brighton’s package features a 10-per-cent sell-on bonus for Celtic from any future transfer deal on a player who now looks set to exit Parkhead during next month’s transfer window. And that stepping-stone factor is a huge part of their pitch to the 21-year-old star as they recognise Dembele’s longer-term ambitions lie at a mightier outfit.
Celtic striker Moussa Dembele (left) is a top transfer target of Chris Hughton's Brighton
They are prepared to insert a rescission clause in his contract that would trigger a move to one of the elite clubs in the event of him transferring his scoring prowess from Celtic to the Amex Stadium.
Brighton drew 0-0 at home to Burnley on Saturday, highlighting Chris Hughton’s dire need for a centre-forward capable of hurting bottom-half rivals in the battle to stay in the division.
If Dembele is to stand a chance of forcing his way into France’s World Cup squad, he knows he would be best served playing and scoring regularly in a top league rather than struggling for game time at a giant club such as Manchester United.
Brighton manager Chris Hughton is prepared to offer Dembele regular Premier League football
Sam Allardyce’s Everton could yet emerge as a serious rival to Brighton’s bid to land the Frenchman.
Brendan Rodgers has prioritised bolstering his defence in January, with German centre-half Marvin Compper set to move in a £900,000 deal from RB Leipzig. The 32-year-old enjoyed a VIP tour of Celtic’s facilities on Thursday.
In the loan market, Chelsea’s 21-year-old playmaker Charly Musonda could come back into focus for a Celtic switch after signing a Stamford Bridge deal until 2022.
Dembele already has experience of playing against big teams in the Champions League
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