Karamoko Dembele is the shining light of Celtic’s academy. He is the crown jewel, a player capable of going onto achieve big things not only for the Hoops, but also for the rest of his career.

A teenager who was playing U20 football at the age of 13, the diminutive figure burst onto the scene last season under Neil Lennon.

In total, he’s only played three matches for the senior side but the very fact his debut came aged 16 shows Dembele is a player with enormous potential.

He has shone recently for the reserve side too, scoring twice in a win over Hibernian while also finding the net against Huddersfield.

That being said, there are clear obstacles in his way before he becomes a regular in the first-team setup. The first of which is the fact Lennon doesn’t currently operate with wingers in his XI.

Instead, he’s set the side up with two strikers and wing-backs. For Dembele to fully thrive, he’d need a system where he can attack at will and showcase his tremendous dribbling ability.

However, Celtic’s chief recruiter Nick Hammond could deal his chances of getting into the side an almighty blow this summer.

Although the window is still some way off, Spanish outlet Marca claims the Hoops and Rangers are interested in landing Atletico Madrid attacker Ricardo Riquelme.

The 19-year-old is a winger by trade and immediately you can see the issue – he plays in the same position as Dembele.

That isn’t the only problem, though. Both players are still incredibly raw and are still learning their trade in the game. Riquelme has just 30 minutes of football under his belt for the first-team which is fewer than Dembele who has racked up 67.

Given their inexperience, it would be hard to see both players getting game time in equal measure.

Riquelme’s contract in Spain is up at the end of the season and he’s currently locked in negotiations over his future with Diego Simeone’s Champions League quarter-finalists. However, proposals from Europe seem to be holding up a renewal.

If Celtic can lure him to Glasgow it will be a free transfer and at the age of 19, he is further ahead in his development than Dembele. Seven goals and six assists across the UEFA Youth League and the third tier of Spanish football this term demonstrate that not only is he a team player, but he also knows where the back of the net is.

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Registering a hat-trick of assists against Rangers in the youth league, he has already impressed where it matters for the Hoops too.

However, the fact of the matter is they must be careful of hindering Dembele’s career by landing another talented young winger. Hammond needs to assess his priorities.

Meanwhile, one Celtic player should be BANGING on Neil Lennon's door ahead of the weekend...