According to The Daily Record, Moussa Dembele is in talks with AC Milan.
That is an incredible statement.
It’s an incredible statement because it is not supported by a single source, anywhere.
“According to reports” it says. Except there are no such reports, anywhere.
Whoever wrote that headline, they made that up.
“Sky sources” have said that Milan are in the bidding; there is no suggestion at all that a bid has been accepted. And without a bid being accepted there is no way that the player is in talks with anybody. That story can filed under “Utter Pish.”
Milan might be interested in our player. They are not alone.
But we can only go on what the player himself has said and what the manager has been repeating over and over again. Indeed our CEO and majority shareholder have said the same; never before in my memory has there been such unanimity about a prospective departure; as far as this window goes, it’s not going to happen.
I understand the feeding frenzy over this story, which originated in Italy at a club which has just been bought by new owners determined to make a big splash. I also understand how that story has leapt from being tittle-tattle into being a major lead on the news channels.
But it remains nothing more than an unconfirmed rumour, and one Celtic does not welcome.
The story here is that AC Milan are interested and have asked Celtic if they can do business.
There is nothing else to it.
That alone is sufficient to generate headlines.
As per usual The Daily Record isn’t content with that; they have to go a bit further and they’ve written a headline which bends an already speculative story into one that veers into outright fiction. In other words, it’s an outright lie.
And they are very lucky the player is not the litigious type because it’s also a slur on his professionalism and character, if what they are implying is that he’s conducting negotiations behind our back.
Not that there’s anyone to sue; The Record has filed the story under the anonymous byline they reserve for Total Shite – “Record Sport Online.”
The biggest transfer story in Scottish football in many a year, and not a soul wants to slap his name on it?
What does that tell you, friends in Celtic? What does that suggest?
We’re in for a summer of this.
No doubt about it.
Let’s not jump at every bang of the door.