Celtic striker Moussa Dembele not planning summer exit amid Chelsea and Arsenal links

The agent of Moussa Dembele claims that his client is not currently pondering a possible departure from reigning Scottish Premiership champions Celtic. The French striker's future became subject to typically intense scrutiny during the final day of the January transfer window amid apparent interest from Chelsea, with matters not helped by a pre-planned specialist consultation regarding a knee injury that required him to travel to London right while the rumours were swirling.

The Premier League leaders were quoted a price of £40m ($49.7m) after making a surprise pre-deadline day inquiry for reported West Ham United target Dembele, according to The Telegraph, although Antonio Conte later rejected claims that Chelsea failed with an offer worth £35m and dismissed such talk as mere speculation.

That denial has certainly not marked the end of frequent paper talk concerning Dembele's next move, with Arsenal among the group of other European heavyweights now said to have entered the increasingly congested race for his signature. Despite links to some of the continent's biggest clubs, however, the 20-year-old's representative insists he is content in Glasgow.

"Moussa doesn't stress," Mamadi Fofana told the Daily Record. "He signed a four-year deal at Celtic and, in his head, he'll be at Celtic for those four years. If he has to leave, that will happen at the right time, but it's not in Moussa's head or my head.

"In January, there was speculation, but there will always be speculation if he does well. It's good. It means we are all doing well. The boy is doing well, Celtic is doing well and we as agents are doing the right things for everyone."

Fofana insisted he is not thinking about the summer at the moment and that the original plan between Celtic, manager Brendan Rodgers and Dembele, while private, remained unchanged.

"If Celtic ever wants to sell Moussa, it will be a common decision which is taken between everyone," he added. "But, at the moment, I can be no clearer in saying there is absolutely no discussion between me and Celtic about Moussa leaving in the summer or even next January. We can't stop people from thinking or talking, but if people can't see the benefit of Moussa Dembele being at Celtic, there is nothing I can do about that."

Having earned a reputation as one of the hottest properties in the English Football League during a productive four-year stint with Fulham, Dembele has wasted no time in re-establishing his qualities since moving north of the border last summer in a move that cost Celtic, currently 24 points clear of nearest title challengers Aberdeen, a measly £500,000 in training compensation.

The French U21 international, who could win his first senior cap next month, has already scored 27 goals in 41 total appearances for the Bhoys and recently notched back-to-back hat-tricks against St Johnstone and Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He also netted a treble in September's 5-1 demolition of Old Firm rivals Rangers.