(Alternative title) Mark Pirie provides bleak update on likelihood of 'coveted' speedster staying at Celtic

Journalist Mark Pirie has provided a somewhat bleak outlook on the future of Celtic's Karamoko Dembele.

The lowdown

Teenager Dembele is out of contract at the end of the 2021/22 season, meaning he could walk as a free agent in the summer.

The right-winger came through the youth ranks at Celtic and has made 10 appearances at first-team level, scoring his one and only goal to date against St Johnstone in May 2021.

This season, he's played a mere 20 minutes for Ange Postecoglou's side, having been out of action until February with a knee injury and tested positive for Covid-19.

The latest

Pirie, writing for The Daily Record, says that the injury 'plagued' Dembele could be set to leave in the summer.

The run-in represents the 'last chance' for him to prove his worth to Postecoglou, but Pirie isn't optimistic given that the 19-year-old 'has spent most of the season with the B team'.

It was supposed to be a 'breakout campaign', he says, but now it looks like 'it could be time up for the forward at Celtic Park'.

The verdict

The Athletic's Kieran Devlin had provided a more optimistic update on Dembele on Friday, revealing that sources close to the club were pleased with an improvement in his application at Lennoxtown.

But based on this line from Pirie, that may not point towards a long-term stay at Celtic Park.

Dembele has previously earned rave reviews, with journalist Alison McConnell calling the 'coveted' attacker 'exceptional' and French newspaper L'Equipe marvelling at his 'extraordinary acceleration' and one-vs-one abilities.

You wonder, then, if Celtic could come to rue his departure a few years down the line, provided he realises his potential.

In other news, read this Kyogo claim from an injury expert.