Was it Worth it Moussa? – Dembele’s Harsh Reality

The question in the headline probably has two answers, yes and no.

Was it fantastic for Moussa Dembele’s bank balance to make a move to Lyon from Celtic? Hell Yes!

Was it the right footballing decision at the time? Hell No!

I was impressed with Moussa Dembele’s advisors when he first came to Celtic, and they spoke of developing a star and not chasing the money. Their philosophy seemed to be; the money would inevitably come down the line if he was developed well.

For two seasons Moussa gave us some fantastic moments at Celtic, and even with the fans braced for an exit going into the third it just felt like it wasn’t his time yet. The striker had injuries in his second season, and while he was still scoring, he wasn’t quite ‘there’.

When the summer window started to cool down, Celtic fans started to think they would have Moussa for that little bit longer. However, what would unfold with 48 hours to go in the window can only be described as a major clusterf***. Upon hearing of Lyon’s bid and Celtic turning them away, the striker downed tools, was petulant in training and used his social media to attack the manager’s integrity. It was disheartening and infuriating watching on as a Celtic fan.

I think what was more annoying was the fact the player had more to give Celtic and his representatives to that point had been chasing a footballing philosophy and not the money.

As we sit here at the winter break were Celtic or Moussa better off as a result of the move? The answer is quite simply, no!

Moussa has made 19 appearances for Lyon, scoring just six goals. He now has the weight of the world on his shoulders with the French media on his back. The striker went to France with a reputation and he’s failed to live up to the hype as far as they’re concerned.

It has become so intense the Lyon manager Bruno Genesio has had to give his striker a public vote of confidence and even blamed the media for part of the current situation.

“I think the media have been pretty tough on him. told RecordSport.

“We forget that he is a very young player, we forget he arrives at a new club.

“I actually enjoyed his game in the Cup because he created opportunities. The most important thing for me is to be in the position where you get opportunities.

“And the fact that he does not give up, does not get discouraged, it’s very important.

“It’s important to maintain our trust in Moussa and he will soon be back scoring as soon as possible.

“Being a striker is the same as a goalkeeper. It’s all about confidence.”

It’s not sour grapes when I sit here and say Moussa jumped the gun and it’s not with the benefit of hindsight. Many people, including myself, envisioned this scenario while the Frenchman was working his ticket out of the club.

Who knows what would have happened if Moussa stayed for just one more season. At the age of 22, it would have hardly been a bad thing and could have given him a better platform to move on and become the player we all know he can be.

C’est la vie.