Chelsea have reportedly had a €40 million bid for French forward Moussa Dembele rejected by Ligue 1 outfit Lyon.
According to a report by French outlet Foot Mercato, Chelsea have faced a setback in their pursuit of French forward Moussa Dembele. The Blues tabled a bid worth €40 million, which was swiftly knocked back by Lyon, who do not wish to part ways with the 23-year-old in the January transfer window.
Dembele has always been rated as one of the most promising young forwards in Europe for quite some time now. In the last couple of years, the Frenchman has gone some way towards fulfilling that promise, having gone from strength to strength since joining Lyon from Celtic in the summer of 2018.
In the last 18 months, Dembele has turned out 71 times for Lyon, with a solid return of 30 goals and 8 assists to show for his efforts. A direct contribution to a goal every 125 minutes is a fine base to build on, and it is no wonder that some of the biggest clubs in the world have shown an interest in him, the latest being Chelsea.
The Blues are set to enter the transfer market with a vengeance this winter, after their transfer ban was cut short by CaS. And, attack appears to be an area that Frank Lampard is keen to bolster, with Timo Werner another striker linked with a move to Chelsea as well.
The interest in a striker could be stemming from the fact that Tammy Abraham has shouldered bulk of the attacking burden this season, with Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud only being seen as emergency options. Both Batshuayi and Giroud are reportedly being linked with a January move away from Chelsea.
As a result, signing a striker is the need of the hour for Lampard, making Dembele a viable target for the club. In order to secure his services, Chelsea have already tabled a €40 million bid, as per the report.
However, the West Londoners will have to up their offer if they are to land Dembele, with Lyon rejecting the bid. Furthermore, what is even more challenging a prospect for Chelsea is the fact that the Ligue 1 outfit are reluctant to sell the 23-year-old, and for good reason.
Memphis Depay and Jeff Reine-Adelaide are sidelined for the remainder of the season, which has made Dembele an even more prized a possession for Les Gones. Chelsea, though, are contemplating sweetening the pot by also including Giroud in their next offer.
It now remains to be seen if Chelsea’s next offer is good enough for them to sign Dembele in the January transfer window. For now, it looks like the Blues will need more than just a €40 million offer to land their man this winter.
