Sources: Ex-Celtic starlet may get big move as West Ham watch ‘brilliant’ ace

• EXCLUSIVE from Graeme Bailey

Everton, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United are just three of the Premier League clubs looking to sign one-time Celtic wonderkid Karamoko Dembele this summer following an impressive loan spell at Blackpool.

HITC Football understands that a player who set social media alight a couple of seasons ago – dancing through defenders far older than him as a 13-year-old playing for Celtic’s under-20 side – could belatedly be about to take one big step towards fulfilling his potential this summer.

Under contract at French side Brest, Karamoko Dembele has been a revelation on loan at Blackpool in England’s third tier. And his reward for a series of dazzling displays could be a move to the Premier League, Everton, West Ham United, Fulham, Brentford and Wolves all keeping tabs on a player who was linked with the likes of Chelsea before eventually leaving Celtic on a free transfer back in 2022.

West Ham among Premier League suitors

Dembele has seven goals and 12 assists for Blackpool. Still only 21, the former England youth star has clearly not lost the devastating dribbling ability that made him such a YouTube sensation north of the border. There is also interest, HITC has been told, from a Nottingham Forest side who came up against Dembele’s Blackpool side in the FA Cup in January.

Leicester City, Southampton and Leeds United – three clubs with Premier League ambitions – are also interested. As are a Middlesbrough side who are looking to bounce back from a disappointing campaign, and having already improved the attacking qualities at their disposal by bringing in Finn Azaz from Aston Villa.

“Karamoko Dembele now has three goals and eight assists in his last 17 games which, from his position, is excellent,” EFL expert Ali Maxwell told the Not The Top 20 podcast a few weeks back.

“For someone from a central position like Dembele to be putting up those kind of numbers (against) congested midfielders, where he picks up the ball, bursts and darts away and then threads a through ball…

“It’s really impressive what he’s doing.”

Karamoko Dembele ‘brilliant’ at Blackpool

Dembele is under contract at Stade Brestois until 2026. It remains to be seen if he has a future at the Ligue 1 outfit, who will be tempted to cash in if the likes of West Ham or Wolverhampton Wanderers are willing to stump up a sizeable fee.

“He’s a lovely player to watch,” Tangerines team-mate Owen Dale tells the Blackpool Gazette. “He’s a great asset for us to have in the team. He gives us a different dimension and likes to pop up in those pockets. He draws one or two defenders over to him which leaves someone else free.”

“He’s a great asset for us. He’s been brilliant since he’s come in.”

Wolves, HITC Football has been told, are also pursuing Fenerbahce left-back Ferdi Kadioglu.

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