Who Is Siriki Dembele? Five Things To Know About Rangers’ Possible Replacement For Alfredo Morelos

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3 years ago

Categories: Galleries, Rangers News, Transfer News

Tags: Brentford, Celtic, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Peterborough, QPR, Rangers, Siriki Dembele

Rangers are among the teams who have scouted Peterborough forward Siriki Dembele, according to the Posh’s director of football Barry Fry.

It is believed the Light Blues have watched the 24-year-old on a number of occasions, while the likes of Celtic, Newcastle, QPR, Nottingham Forest and Brentford are also thought to be interested

The Gers are unlikely to be in the market for another striker in January but if Alfredo Morelos does leave Ibrox at the end of the season, the Scottish club could be eyeing a replacement for the Colombian.

So what do we know about Dembele? Press the next page as we look at five things fans need to know about the player:

Dembele started his career in Scotland

Dundee United were the team that gave the young forward his first chance, spending over three years in their academy before moving to Ayr. After failing to gain a contract, he went on trial with various clubs before landing his first professional deal at Grimsby Town.

Dembele impressed during his first full season in League Two and gained a move to Peterborough in the summer of 2018.

His brother plays for the Old Firm rivals

Siriki’s younger sibling, Karamoko, came through the academy at Celtic and the winger has been at the Hoops for six years, making his senior debut in a 2-1 win over Hearts in May 2019.

The Celtic starlet is seven years younger than the Peterborough forward and has played for both England and Scotland at Under 17 level.

Dembele has not been the most prolific of goalscorers in his career

The Ivorian started out life at Grimsby playing as a right-winger, which led to him only scoring four goals in the 2017/18 campaign. His first season at Peterborough saw him hit the back of the net five times, but again he was mostly playing out wide.

It was only last campaign when Dembele began to play more centrally. Before the season was curtailed, he had scored five in 25 appearances. At the start of this campaign, he has already matched that total, but he has yet to hit double figures in his career so far.

He can play for three different countries

Dembele was born in Ivory Coast but moved to London at an early age to pursue his career as a footballer. He subsequently moved to Scotland before being picked up by Dundee United.

It means the forward is eligible to play for three nations, although he has yet to play a game at international level.

Dembele’s asking price is pretty steep

Reports suggest that Peterborough may demand as much as £5m for the 24-year-old, despite not being a prolific scorer in League One.

Considering Rangers spent less than that on a seasoned professional in Kemar Roofe last summer, the Posh would probably need to drop their price tag if they want to sell the forward in January or at the end of the season.