Olympique Lyon striker Moussa Dembele has reportedly turned down approaches from several clubs, including Everton, Fulham and West Ham United.
According to Foot Mercato, Everton, Fulham and West Ham United are among a host of clubs that have been rejected by Olympique Lyon striker Moussa Dembele in the ongoing transfer window.
Dembele spent several years at the PSG academy before moving to Fulham’s youth setup in 2012. The striker broke into the first-team setup at Craven Cottage and made over 60 appearances before joining Celtic in the summer of 2016 on a free transfer. The 26-year-old tasted tremendous success in Scotland, helping the Hoops win several trophies during his two years at Parkhead.
Dembele returned to France in 2018, signing for Olympique Lyon, where he has had a solid career so far. In 144 appearances for the French outfit, the striker has netted 67 goals and set up 18 more. Following a short loan stint in the second half of the 2020/21 season, the 26-year-old enjoyed a fine 2021/22 campaign on a personal level for Les Gones, finishing as the top scorer.
However, with Alexandre Lacazette returning to the Groupama Stadium this summer, Dembele has been pushed down the pecking order. And with his contract set to expire next year, Lyon are keen on cashing in on him before the transfer window closes. Alerted by his situation, a bunch of clubs across Europe have made approaches, including Premier League trio Everton, Fulham and West Ham United.
Everton’s search for a new striker is well-documented after they decided to sell Richarlison to Tottenham this summer. Furthermore, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is sidelined for over a month with an injury, leaving Frank Lampard with Salomon Rondon as the only option in the No. 9 role. Thus, Dembele has been identified as a possible target, with Everton approaching him.
Fulham are in the market for a striker as well, as they look to find a player to support last season’s Championship top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic. Marco Silva’s side will need more firepower up top if they plan to retain their Premier League status beyond the current season, leading to the interest in Dembele, a player who is well-known at Craven Cottage.
West Ham United have signed Gianluca Scamacca to strengthen their frontline, but David Moyes remains keen on adding another forward as he plans to push for a top-six finish in the Premier League while hoping to go deep in the UEFA Europa Conference League. Dembele, to that end, has been identified as a target, and an approach has been made.
However, as per the report, Dembele has rejected the overtures from West Ham, Everton and Fulham, along with several other clubs such as Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Villarreal and Galatasaray. The 26-year-old is only willing to consider a club that matches his sporting ambitions and financial demands as an exit from Lyon looms large. It will be interesting to see if any of the Premier League clubs can convince him to change his mind.
