Moussa Dembele, still in the bloom of his footballing career at 28, graces Al-Ettifaq's forward line as their striker. Born in France on 12 July 1996, Dembele tips the scales at around 79kg (12st 6lb) and stands at a respectable 1.83m (6ft).
Charting his career journey, it was in July 2012 that Dembele joined the roster of Fulham, then contenders in England's Premier League. His tenure there spanned from the 2013-2014 season to the 2015-2016 season, during which he showed steady progress. Dembele's debut season with Fulham saw him making only two first-team appearances in league matches. This number improved to 11 in the following season and peaked at 43 in his final season, where he also netted 15 goals.
Dembele bid farewell to Fulham in July 2016 to wear Celtic's colours, with his transfer fee estimated around £500,000. His first season with Celtic in the 2016-2017 round, saw him earning his dues with 29 first-team appearances and an impressive tally of 17 goals. He followed up with 25 first-team appearances and nine goals in the subsequent 2017-2018 season. However, his participation dipped dramatically in the 2018-2019 season with just a single appearance.
Come August 2018 and Dembele was France-bound with Lyon in Ligue 1, for a reported transfer fee of around £20 million. His time at Lyon had its ups and downs. His first season (2018-2019) saw him make 33 first-team appearances, netting 15 goals, while the following season he made 27 appearances with one more goal to his tally. The 2020-2021 season, however, saw a decrease in his field appearances (to 16) and a solitary goal. His form picked back up in the 2021-2022 season with an impressive 21 goals from 30 appearances. By the 2022-2023 season, his appearances had dropped, featuring in 23 matches and scoring only three times.
Dembele veered off on a short Spanish detour to Atletico Madrid in LaLiga on a loan term in January 2021. There he made five league appearances before returning to Lyon in June 2021, following his loan completion. In subsequent seasons at Lyon, Dembele proved that he hadn't lost his touch with consistent appearances and strong goal tallies.
In July 2023, Dembele found a fresh chapter in his career with Al-Ettifaq in the Professional League of Saudi Arabia. His current run in the 2024-2025 season holds promise, as he's already made six first-team appearances, yielding three goals.
In conclusion, it's clear that Dembele's path across the footballing landscape has seen its fair share of turns and twists. Nevertheless, his career journey shows a striker who stands tall amid trials, ever ready to claim the pitch and score.
