Premier League strugglers Newcastle United are keen to strengthen their attack this January by making a move for Lyon star Moussa Dembele.
According to the Daily Mail, struggling Premier League side Newcastle United are eyeing a move for Olympique Lyon striker Moussa Dembele next month.
The Magpies have won just one game in the league this season and are currently in the 19th spot. One of the major reasons for their struggle this season is the attack. Newcastle have scored just 18 goals in the Premier League, a tally that sees them outgun only Norwich City, Burnley and Southampton.
With the second half of the season set to begin, Eddie Howe’s side cannot repeat putting in similar performances and will need to considerably amplify their efforts in attack. The January transfer window allows them to rectify it, and the Magpies appear keen to take it.
One of the players in the fray is French striker Dembele, who is a proven goalscorer at the Groupama Stadium. The 25-year-old has been with the French giants since 2018 and has notched up 49 goals and 14 goals in 120 games. While the numbers aren’t exactly groundbreaking, it represents an upgrade over who the Magpies have at their disposal at the moment.
Callum Wilson leads the club’s scoring charts with six goals in all competitions this season. Allan Saint-Maximin, with three goals, follows him and the less said about the rest, the better. On the other hand, Dembele is a proven goalscorer and has time and again displayed that he knows where the back of the net is. It is a trait that could be considered invaluable for the fortunes of those at St. James Park in the months to come.
Dembele also has prior experience of playing in Britain. He enjoyed his first taste of senior football with Fulham before moving to Scotland for a prolific two-year spell with Celtic. He could need very little time to familiarize himself with the British style and could be thrown in at the deep end from the word go.
Dembele only recently returned to action after overcoming a thigh injury and a fractured right fibula. Lyon, for their part, are ready to sanction a move should they receive a suitable offer. With the threat of relegation looming large, Howe & co. might look to take the striker initially on loan before making his signing permanent later on.
The 25-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Spanish side Atletico Madrid. Whether history will repeat itself this time around, but with Newcastle remains to be seen. For all their riches, the Tyneside club could do with a messiah whose goals can help keep them afloat this season.
Dembele’s stint at Lyon appears to be getting stagnant, and the player could do with a fresh challenge in January. With Newcastle too in need of just such a player, it could prove to be a match made in heaven.
