Danish minnows Nordsjaelland have claimed they held talks last season to snap up Celtic starlet Karamoko Dembele.
The 18-year-old is the most highly-touted player to emerge from Scotland in years but the attacker has struggled for game time at Celtic Park.
The wonderkid made five appearances last season under Neil Lennon and John Kennedy, netting his first professional goal towards the end of the campaign.
However, Nordsjaelland boss Flemming Pedersen has claimed that they could have brought the winger to the Danish Superliga in the January window.
Pedersen told Danish outlet Bold that they pulled out of discussion for Dembele - who has been linked with some of the biggest names in European football including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
The gaffer said: “He turned up as an opportunity in the winter.
“Often, when it comes out, the media is half a year late to it. When something comes out, it’s often four or six months late, but there is nothing now.
“There were talks in the winter, but it was something that we ourselves helped to shut down.
“At that time, we thought we had the players we needed.“
Pedersen admits he would revisit a potential deal but claims there are no talks taking place with the Scottish Premiership side as it stands.
He added: “It can go so fast in football, and many things I do not know before a real opportunity arises for a player, on whom I have to help make a decision about.“
