Why Fulham should take a punt on Siriki Dembele in January
According to The Sun, Fulham have been handed a massive boost in their pursuit of Peterborough United forward Siriki Dembele.
The 24-year-old has been in sparkling form for the League One outfit this season and has also attracted interest from Championship promotion-hopefuls Watford and Bournemouth. The report claims that Dembele has now handed in an official transfer request at London Road as he prepares to force through a move to a higher level this month. (h/t The Sun)
Profile
Born in the Ivory Coast, Siriki Dembele started his footballing education at Dundee United and Ayr United in Scotland. He had a brief stint at the Nike Academy from where he was plucked out by Grimsby Town in League Two. The speedster scored 4 times in 39 appearances for the fourth-tier outfit in 2017-18 before being transferred to Peterborough United in League One.
Dembele has progressed by leaps and bounds over the course of his last couple of seasons at Peterborough. He has particularly caught the eye with his improvement this term, registering 5 goals and 6 assists in 20 league appearances so far. The versatile forward has been an irrepressible driving force behind the Posh’s surge for promotion in the third tier.
The 24-year-old has bagged an impressive tally of 19 goals and 23 assists in 99 appearances for Peterborough United in all competitions. Dembele’s exploits have been enough to put several clubs higher up the pyramid on red alert.
More depth and quality?
Fulham currently find themselves languishing 18th in the standings after a dismal first half of the season. Scott Parker’s side have managed just a couple of wins from 18 games so far, accumulating 12 points in the process. The Cottagers, though, still have a fair chance of beating the drop, with the club just 4 points adrift of safety (at the time of writing).
Having said that, however, Fulham surely need more firepower in the final third to preserve their top-flight status. The West Londoners have scored just 15 goals in the Premier League, with only Sheffield United scoring fewer goals so far in the division.
Star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has found himself in and out of the playing XI due to his struggles with injuries. Even when fit, the Serb has failed to hit the heights he is capable of. Parker has relied heavily on Ivan Cavaleiro to deliver the goods in front of goal but the Portuguese star has scored just twice in 16 league appearances so far.
With Aboubakar Kamara also offering very little from the bench, Fulham should have one eye on options to strengthen their forward line this month. Putting things into context, a potential deal for Peterborough’s Siriki Dembele would definitely be a step in the right direction as far as the Cottagers are concerned.
Dembele has proven himself to be a cut above the rest in his humble surroundings in League One. While a direct step up to the Premier League is a long shot, the Ivorian-born forward apparently has the potential to make the transition to more competitive surroundings. Plus, his versatility to operate anywhere across the forward line should also offer Fulham more options heading into a hectic winter schedule.
Verdict
Peterborough have a reputation of nurturing rough diamonds and selling them on at a profit. The likes of Dwight Gayle, Britt Assombalonga and Jack Marriott have all been unearthed by the Posh and Siriki Dembele looks like a player in a similar mould.
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With quality players hard to come by in the January market, Fulham should not hesitate to take a punt on the Peterborough star to bolster their attack this month.
