France Under-21 coach Sylvain Ripoll is confident that former Celtic striker Moussa Dembele has the ability to adapt and get used to the higher level of football he will be playing at Lyon, but believes it will make demands on him which were not there in Scotland.
Dembele went to war with Celtic to force his way out of the club and join Lyon on the last day of the summer transfer window last month.
The Frenchman has so far made just one appearance for Lyon and is yet to open his scoring account for the Ligue 1 giants following his move from the Scottish champions.
Ripoll, who has worked with Dembele in the French Under-21s, feels the striker will bring a lot of Lyon’s attack and his physicality and the ruthless inside the penalty box will be a good asset for his new club.
However, he admits the striker will have to play at a higher level than he encountered at Celtic and will have to adapt to performing for a club of Lyon’s stature.
Asked what Dembele brings to Lyon, the France Under-21 boss told France Football: “The ability to hold on to the ball, to press, the aggressively he shows when approaching the goal, his formidable physique inside the 16-yard box and his cold-blooded nature and determination in front of the goal.
“Now, at this level of offensive play, he will have to adapt.
“This is may not be something he encountered daily at Celtic, but he has the ability to adapt and be a real plus.”
Dembele scored 51 goals in 94 appearances for Celtic during his time at the club.
