A strike rate of 12 goals in 17 games – including a hat-trick against Sevco Rangers and a double against Manchester City – has attracted interest from all over Europe.
Asked whether Brendan Rodgers could look forward to Dembele remaining at the Scottish champions, Desmond answered: “‘I think so. Hopefully, we can.
‘They’re a team, they’re together, we don’t need to sell any players.
‘Hopefully, we can retain him, but again our job is to have players who are wanted by other clubs in the Premier League and elsewhere.
‘That will be an indication of the quality of footballers that we have.’
Desmond once again repeated his desire for the Hoops to move to England and insisted he still believes it will happen at some point – even though the English Football League recently rejected the latest proposals in their league reform plans.
The 72 EFL clubs held discussions on a proposed switch from three 24-team divisions to four 20-team ones.
The prospect of inviting the Parkhead club, the Ibrox outfit and second string teams from the EPL sides to join a new league was overwhelmingly rejected.
Desmond added: ‘I think these doors are being closed all the time. Sometime it will be opened.
‘I feel confident that Celtic, and, indeed, Rangers (sic), and Aberdeen, and some of the other clubs in Scotland, should participate in a bigger British League.’
