Manchester United have reportedly chosen to step up their interest in Moussa Dembele and opened dialogue regarding a summer move for the Lyon forward.
According to Daily Mail, Manchester United have stepped up their chase to add to their frontline in the summer transfer window. Lyon forward Moussa Dembele, who has been linked with several top European clubs, is the one on Manchester United’s radar, with the Red Devils initiating negotiations with Lyon for the Frenchman.
The report, which credits French publication L’Equipe for the story, iterates that Moussa Dembele is one of the names being considered by Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to beef up his attack and that the club have opened dialogue with Lyon over the prospect of a summer move. But, that is not where the buck stops.
Solskjaer is also keen to find out more about Dembele’s character and temperament, two attributes he is likely to take heavily into consideration while building his squad for the 2019-20 campaign.
Moussa Dembele returned to France, where he started as a youth star at PSG, joining Lyon from Celtic in 2018. In what is supposed to be his maiden senior Ligue 1 campaign, the French forward has adjusted to the higher level of competition brilliantly after plying his trade in Scotland, with a return of 18 goals in all competitions for Lyon so far this season.
Having proven his credentials to be comfortable with a jump in a competitive level straight away, Dembele is now on the radar of other top clubs, including Premier League outfits Arsenal and Manchester United.
The Gunners though, are unlikely to follow through with their interest, with Unai Emery set to work under a stringent budget again this summer and owing to the form displayed by Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Manchester United have Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku – two forwards who have proven themselves in the Premier League. But, neither are in form right now and their future is up in the air, with both stars on the radar of other top European clubs, who are trying to take advantage of United’s struggles to prise away their gems.
Solskjaer is also unhappy with the attitude of players like Anthony Martial, who have appeared too relaxed in pre-game warm-ups. The manager wants players with passion, character and the right temperament to succeed on the big stage.
Solskjaer will be heading into the summer transfer window with the objective being to recruit players who not only are of the right quality for Manchester United but also players who want to ‘play for the club’.
Whether Dembele will fit the bill or not remains to be seen. But, United opening talks over the 22-year-old, who is valued by Lyon at £43 million, is a hint that the club feel he will.
