Everton and Nottingham Forest eye Karamoko Dembele transfer amid points deductions
Everton and Nottingham Forest are both in the hunt to sign Brest attacker Karamoko Dembele, according to HITC.
Graeme Bailey reported via the outlet’s website on 19 March that the two clubs hit by Premier League points deductions are both interested in the “devastating” 21-year-old after his impressive loan campaign at Blackpool this term.
They aren’t alone, with various clubs in the Premier League and Championship tracking the youngster, who was a “YouTube sensation” as a teenager at Celtic, after scoring six and assisting 11 more in League One this term, adding a further goal and assist in the FA Cup, with some “dazzling displays”.
With as many as 10 clubs named as having an interest in the attacking midfielder the report suggests a move could be on the cards in hope that he may “belatedly be about to take one big step towards fulfilling his potential”.
His future at Brest is unclear but the French side are expected to be tempted to cash in if a “sizeable cash fee” were put on the table.
Blackpool loanee a viable transfer target for Sean Dyche at Everton?
Unless the unresolved takeover question works out very positively for Everton over the next couple of months the requirement for a hefty transfer fee might put a move for Dembele beyond them.
Forest have already been dropped into the bottom three after their four-point penalty, and the possibility that another one could land at Goodison Park, on top of the six already deducted, could make relegation a real threat again.
It has been predicted that Everton may be able to avoid a second sanction altogether now that the Forest verdict has arrived, but it remains to be seen how the commission hearing next week goes.
The turmoil off the pitch at Goodison and the City Ground doesn’t look to have prevented them from assessing potential summer targets.
And given the level of interest in Dembele it appears there is a widespread belief that he may be a late-blooming star that is ready to take the next step.
With only Abdoulaye Doucouré as a real option in central attacking midfield there is a clear need to add an alternative to Sean Dyche’s squad, although it would clearly be a major leap from the third to the top tier if this became a real option for the Toffees, who are unlikely to have cash to gamble with.
In other Everton news, the Premier League have made a commitment on the club’s imminent hearing as they scramble to avoid a looming “nightmare scenario”.
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