Manchester United reportedly remain keen on signing Olympique Lyon forward Moussa Dembele but face competition from West Ham United.
According to The Sun, Olympique Lyon striker Moussa Dembele still remains on the radars of Premier League giants Manchester United, who are still looking to add more depth to the squad. However, the Red Devils will now have to contend with competition from fellow PL club West Ham United for his signature.
Dembele came through the youth ranks at Paris Saint-Germain before flying to England in 2012, where he joined the Fulham academy. The 24-year-old spent four years with the Cottagers, before jumping ship to Scottish giants Celtic, where he burst onto the scenes with some scintillating displays.
In two years with the club, Dembele bagged 51 goals in 94 appearances for the Hoops, playing a key role in back-to-back domestic treble success at the club, before joining Lyon in 2018.
The Frenchman has been a prolific performer back in his homeland as well, netting 44 goals in 95 games for Les Gones. However, Dembele has lost his starting berth for the Ligue 1 side and is reportedly frustrated to be benched by the club.
Amidst this development, it is being claimed that Lyon have decided to cash in on the striker, with an offer of £30 million plus bonuses believed to be enough to convince them to part ways with the 24-year-old. This has put clubs in England in high-alert, with both Manchester United, who are long-term admirers of the striker, and West Ham United pondering a swoop.
Manchester United added to their centre-forward contingent this summer, signing veteran striker Edinson Cavani on a free transfer. That means Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Odion Ighalo as well as Cavani for the striker’s spot.
However, it must be noted that both Rashford and Greenwood are used in the wide areas by the manager more often than not, while Martial continues to blow hot and cold. In addition, Ighalo’s loan deal expires in January, whereas Cavani, at 33, is anything but a long-term option.
So, adding another potent goalscorer like Dembele, who can provide competition and add quality depth makes sense for the 20-time English champions. However, it seems like they will have to battle it out against former manager David Moyes to land the 24-year-old.
The ex-Manchester United boss is understood to be an admirer of the Frenchman and is keen on adding another striker to his ranks, given his reluctance to use Sebastian Haller, which has left him with Michail Antonio as the sole option for the centre-forward slot.
Dembele is contracted with the French outfit till 2023, but the fact that the club are willing to sell and he, too, is frustrated over the lack of game time, could lead to a transfer in the summer, if not in January itself. At a fee of £30 million, the 24-year-old can be quite the coup and it will be interesting to see if either Manchester United or West Ham make a move.
