Former Celtic wonderkid Karamoko Dembele has made a shock move to League One side Blackpool.
The Seasiders have signed the forward on a season-long loan from French Ligue 1 side Brest.
Dembele came through Celtic’s academy and was tipped to make it to the top of the game after playing for the club’s under-20s side while only 13-year-old.
Advert
The attacker, now 20, went on to make nine first-team appearances from the bench for Celtic before joining Brest last summer.
Indeed, last term he made 15 Ligue 1 appearances for the French side, and featured on two further occasions in the Coupe de France.
And while he is under contract until 2026, his only start has come in the Brest's 2-0 third-round cup victory over third-tier outfit US Avranches.
Dembele told the Blackpool's website: "I've had some good moments at Celtic and Brest and those experiences have helped me develop as a person and a player.
"I like to bring excitement and entertainment to the pitch, and hopefully I can add some goals and assists to the team this season."
Blackpool have won just once in League One so far this campaign. Indeed, Dembele’s arrival comes off the back of a 5-0 defeat to Premier League side Wolves in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
Advert
The diminutive winger, who is the younger brother of Birmingham's Siriki, first came to prominence in 2016 at age 13 when he played in Celtic’s under-20s in a 3-1 win over Hearts.
An almost comical image went viral at the time of the youngster coming on as a substitute.
He went on to become a household name, having represented both Scotland and England at youth level. Indeed, Dembele was even named by French outlet L'Equipe as one of the six "outstanding young players set to revolutionise the game."
Dembele went on to make his competitive first-team debut against Hearts again in 2019 under Neil Lennon, aged just 16. However, the London-born winger ultimately struggled for regular minutes in the senior side.
Topics: Football, League One, Celtic, Ligue 1
Chris Byfield