Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante praises Celtic forward Moussa Dembele

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante has said that it will not come as a surprise if Moussa Dembele earns a call-up to the France senior squad.

Since signing for Celtic during the summer, Dembele has scored 29 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions, while he has been linked with a number of European football's biggest clubs.

Dembele has represented France from Under-16 to Under-21 level, and Kante has backed the 20-year-old to join him in Didier Deschamps's squad sooner rather than later.

The 25-year-old told The Sun: "If Dembele is called up, it will be fully deserved. You do not score the amount of goals that he has scored this season and it goes unnoticed.

"He has been one of the most prolific strikers in Europe this season. He must be playing with so much confidence and that is always one of the most important things for a striker.

"The coach picks on form. I don't think the fact he isn't playing for what people might consider one of the elite European clubs will be held against him."

Dembele is likely to find himself at the centre of a bidding war for his signature in the summer, with his current valuation said to be in the region of £50m.