England fight France over Celtic striker Moussa Dembele who could be eligible in 2017
The 20-year-old starlet is set to be at the centre of a tug of war between the The FA and the French Football Federation
The FA are thought to be exploring options to snap up a number of young foreign stars who are potentially eligible to play for England, including Celtic striker Moussa Dembele.
Dembele who first arrived in the UK at just 16-years-old having joined Fulham's youth set up, will complete the requisite five years of residency in 2017.
But it doesn't sound like the French Football Federation (FFF) will give up the starlet without a fight.
Dembele, 20, is expected to make his debut for France's Under-21s later this week and is already on the radar of France's team manager Didier Deschamps who could introduce him into the senior fold in the coming months.
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Deschamps said: "I saw him score his goals in the Champions League.
"At the moment, he is in the generation below us and has just been called up for the Under-21s — but you never know.
"He’s had a somewhat unusual career path — but he has very many qualities.
The new Hoops favourite netted twice against Manchester City in the Champions League last week and meteoric rise under Brendan Rogers looks set to continue.
Deschamps, who has a FIFA World Cup (1998) medal and UEFA European Championships (2000) medal to his name, added: "Some young players have got lost at their clubs, but Dembele is impressing now in the Champions League. He’s a good player".