Chelsea Transfer News: Moussa Dembele Reportedly Eyed as Roma's Edin Dzeko Heir

AS Roma are reportedly targeting Celtic forward Moussa Dembele as a replacement for Chelsea target Edin Dzeko, and Giallorossi head coach Eusebio Di Francesco has hinted the Italian club is planning for life after their star striker.

Former Manchester City man Dzeko has been fiercely linked with a move back to the Premier League in recent weeks, and the Birmingham Mail's James Rodger reported Dembele is Roma's target for an heir should he leave.

According to the report, Roma sporting director Monchi has tracked the French forward's progress since he was head of transfers at old club Sevilla, whom he left in the summer of 2016.

Roma wing-back Emerson Palmieri is another who has been associated with a winter move to west London in recent weeks, but Blues manager Antonio Conte said on Wednesday the final decision does not lay with him, via Goal:

The Giallorossi have addressed Dzeko's chances of a January move after manager Di Francesco spoke to Sky Sport Italia, ranking the club and team's prosperity above all else (h/t Bruce Archer of the Daily Express):

"What counts is the club. My own hopes are relative. If they sell him, they will have valid reasons, which they will explain to me.

"Do I hate the market? That depends: if someone arrives, no; otherwise, yes.

"In the event that he leaves, we will do something else. [Patrik] Schick has the characteristics, together with [Gregoire] Defrel, of being able to play in several roles in attack.

"But it's still to early to talk about it."

As for Roma's alleged pursuit of Celtic star Dembele, manager Brendan Rodgers recently said his man is not for sale, via BBC Sport Scotland:

The former Fulham starlet moved to Celtic in the summer of 2016 and lit up the Scottish Premiership, scoring 32 goals in 29 appearances but also impressing in the Hoops' UEFA Champions League run.

Transfer attention has a way of derailing that kind of success, however, and BBC Sport Scotland's Tom English has credited Dembele's slip from prominence to distractions off the field:

Dembele, 21, has scored eight times in 21 outings across all competitions this season, although his record of four goals in 13 league appearances is far from the prolific rate that saw him rise to fame last term.

A move to the Stadio Olimpico could see him link up with French compatriots Maxime Gonalons and Defrel—currently on loan from Sassuolo—as well as presenting the attacker with a significant upgrade in surroundings.

Any approach from Roma will depend on whether the Serie A giants sell Dzeko, who has scored 13 goals in 26 starts across all competitions this term.

Chelsea's desire to find a reliable back-up to misfiring hitman Alvaro Morata has taken them to Roma's door, and his prospective Premier League return could spell the end of Dembele's time in Glasgow.