BARCELONA have joined the chase for Moussa Dembele that will leave Celtic £4million richer.
Manchester United are also eyeing the former Hoops striker who looks poised to quit Lyon in a £60million deal this summer, as CQN reported earlier this week.
Parkhead chief executive Peter Lawwell insists on sell-on clauses on players leaving the champions as was the case with Dembele when he agreed a £19.8million switch to the French side in August 2018.
Chelsea and Spurs have also been linked with the international powerhouse who joined the Glasgow outfit in a bargain £500,000 cross-border move from Fulham in the summer of 2016 as one of Brendan Rodgers’ first signings.
Dembele, who turns 24 in July, still has three years to run on his contract, but is likely to be sacrificed by Lyon who will not be performing in Europe in the new season after the French top flight was called early with pacesetters Paris Saint-Germain
Lyon were seventh in Ligue 1 when the decision was made and the lack of participation in the Champions League or, more likely, the Europa Cup will hit them hard financially. That will open the door for interested clubs and the Catalan giants are the latest to show interest, according to a report in the Scottish Sun.
Club president Jean-Michel Aulas admitted he could be forced to cash in on Dembele.
He said: “I am going to do everything to keep the players.
“But players who are programmed to play in Europe could want to go elsewhere because we don’t have European football.”
Old Trafford looked to be Dembele’s most likely destination, but Barcelona have now been alerted to his availability.
The Hoops are standing by for their cash bonanza with a sell-on clause of at least 10 per cent in Dembele’s contract.
