Manchester United are reportedly considering investing €45 million in the summer transfer window for the signing of Lyon forward Moussa Dembele.
According to a report from Euro United, Premier League giants Manchester United are plotting a summer raid on the Ligue 1 in order to sign striker Moussa Dembele from Lyon.
Having started out at the PSG youth academy, Dembele moved to England in 2012, joining Fulham for whom he went on to play 64 times before making his way to Scottish champions Celtic on a free transfer in 2016. It is with the Bhoys that the 22-year-old Frenchman became a household name, as he enjoyed two stellar seasons that ended with back-to-back domestic trebles.
Having played 94 times for Celtic, during which he scored 51 goals, Dembele returned to France last summer, joining Lyon and has had an eventful debut campaign in the Ligue 1. The 22-year-old has found the back of the net on 19 occasions, while setting up 6 more from 44 appearances in all competitions for the French heavyweights.
It is this kind of form that has seen Manchester United take note of the Frenchman ahead of the summer transfer window. The 2018-19 campaign was a poor one for the Red Devils and they have a major rebuild job on their hands before the next season, if they are to bounce back strongly and challenge for a top four finish.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen on overhauling his squad, with the misfiring strike force likely to be in for a restructuring. Alexis Sanchez is going to be one of the high-profile exits from Old Trafford this summer, while Romelu Lukaku’s time at Manchester United could be coming to an end as well.
Should the 20-time English champions decide to offload Lukaku, they would be left with Marcus Rashford as the only out-and-out striker in the ranks, along with Anthony Martial, whose future is also uncertain, with the manager reportedly unhappy with his attitude. And, this is where the interest in acquiring Dembele’s services is stemming from.
At 22, Dembele is making all the right noises and showing that he is capable of cutting it out at the biggest stage. The Frenchman has scored goals in heaps in the last three seasons and is only going to get better from hereon, making him an exciting prospect for Manchester United, which is why they are willing to shell out €45 million to secure his services.
Lyon might not be open to offloading their prized asset only a year after signing him. But, the fact that they would be getting almost double the £20 million transfer fee they paid Celtic could sway their decision. It remains to be seen if Manchester United step up their interest in Dembele in the coming weeks or decide to stick with their current options and back them to come good next term.
