Celtic agreed on a deal to sell Moussa Dembele to Lyon last night.

Although the fans were unhappy with the decision and especially the timing of the sale, popular pundit Chris Sutton believes that it might benefit the club in the long term.

In his column with Daily Record, the former Celtic player explains that Dembele’s sale might just have saved Celtic’s entire model as a club.

The Scottish giants tend to pick up young and talented players for bargains, develop them and then moved them on for big profits. Several talented players (Van Dijk and Wanyama for example) have used the club as a platform for a bigger move in the past and Dembele’s sale will keep that trend alive.

Had Celtic refused to sell the player, it would have set a bad example for future signings. Young players would be reluctant to join them because of their history of broken promises.

Although Sutton’s claims are valid, the sale of Dembele could have been handled a lot better.

The Scottish outfit should have prepared for alternatives and they should have splashed the cash earlier on in the summer.

Rodgers is now left with a weak squad, lacking in form, confidence, and depth. It will be interesting to see how he copes with the lack of options between now and January.