CHRIS SUTTON: The French top flight is no ‘Farmers League’ and the emergence of former Celtic star Moussa Dembele proves the value of the Scottish Premiership
- PSG’s Kylian Mbappe was right to mock those who look down upon Ligue 1
- Lyon’s Moussa Dembele is another Ligue 1 player with undeniable quality
- The forward developed at Celtic and became a highly valuable player in Scotland
- Premier League clubs will save money if they get rid of their dismissive attitude
Kylian Mbappe poked fun at the way France’s Ligue 1 is viewed, tweeting ‘FARMERS LEAGUE’ after Lyon knocked Manchester City out of the Champions League. The Scottish Premiership has long been looked down upon, too.
But Saturday was another example of a player having an impact in Europe after time spent north of the border.
Moussa Dembele’s goals crushed City and he honed his skills in the green and white of Celtic. He was signed from Fulham for £500,000 in 2016, sold to Lyon for £19.7million two years later, and now we’re seeing him linked with Chelsea and Manchester United for as much as £60m. Why not make a move for him before?
Moussa Dembele is yet another excellent player to learn his trade in the Scottish Premiership
Kylian Mbappe mocked critics of Ligue 1 after Lyon’s European Cup win over Manchester City
Scouts from the big Premier League clubs turn up at Celtic Park but they are dismissive of the standard of football. Then a year or two later, they are paying silly money to sign the same players from elsewhere.
It’s time to re-evaluate how the Scottish game is viewed. There is clearly talent there. Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, John McGinn, the list goes on.
Whether Scottish clubs undervalue their players is a separate issue. They have a nasty habit of selling on the cheap. McGinn cost Aston Villa just £2m! But this arrogant, dismissive attitude has to go.