Stoke City to rival Brighton for Celtic ace Dembele

Bengaluru, January 2: Stoke City watched Celtic striker Moussa Dembele in Saturday’s Old Firm derby against their fierce rivals Rangers as the game finished 0-0.

Brighton are expected to table a £20million offer this week after Chris Hughton made the Hoops ace his No 1 target in January but Stoke are also believed to be preparing a late swoop for the former Fulham star.

Since Dembele joined Celtic last season on a free transfer from Fulham, he has made his mark at Parkhead and has been a subject of interest from a host of clubs not only in the UK but also around Europe.

However, it is believed that the Frenchman will only move if he is promised regular playing time which either Stoke or Brighton can offer him.

Stoke boss Mark Hughes sent head scout Lee Maybury to run the rule over Dembele against Rangers.

The Potters gaffer is desperate for a striker and has been linked with Liverpool duo Daniel Sturridge and Danny Ings.

But Dembele is being tracked by several Premier League clubs and Hughes asked his top scout to take a closer look at the young Frenchman.

The Welshman is under pressure after a poor start to the season and needs fresh firepower for his goal-shy side.

Stoke City started the New Year on a poor note losing 1-0 to Newcastle United in a game where his strikers missed plenty of chances and Hughes is said to be desperate for a new striker.

Brendan Rodgers would prefer to keep Dembele but also admitted last week the Hoops could cash in for the right price.

The France Under-21 ace started against Rangers but struggled to make an impact before being replaced by Leigh Griffiths.

With interest mounting in the ex-Fulham striker, there is a growing feeling that could be his last appearance in the Hoops.

West Ham and Everton have also taken a look at Dembele, who has scored an impressive 40 goals in 70 games for Celtic.