Relegation battlers Everton have reportedly been offered a chance to sign Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, who will be out of contract in the summer.
According to the Daily Mail, Everton have been offered a chance to sign out-of-favour Lyon striker Moussa Dembele in the January transfer window, with the Toffees keen to make a move for the former Fulham man.
The French international’s contract will expire, and he will be available for free at the end of the season, but Everton could move ahead of the pack and snap him up for a reasonable fee in the January window itself.
The Toffees have once again found themselves in a perilous situation, with another Premier League relegation battle looming large due to a string of poor performances.
Frank Lampard’s side are currently sitting 19th and in the relegation zone after accumulating just 15 points from a possible 54 so far in the top flight, putting their Premier League status in real jeopardy.
The January transfer window couldn’t have come at a better time, and the golden chance to strengthen the attack is one the Goodison Park hierarchy should not pass up, as the right profile of player could ultimately save their season.
It is well-documented that they are trying to sign a new striker in the winter transfer window. A host of names have already been linked as the Toffees desperately search for a reliable forward, including Bologna striker Marko Arnautovic and Atalanta hitman Duvan Zapata, with the name of Moussa Dembele the latest to be added to the long list of potential striker targets.
The former Celtic forward has struggled for form and minutes this season under new boss Laurent Blanc, having scored only two goals in fourteen Ligue 1 games, but only six of those were starts. However, it was not long ago that he was a hot commodity in the transfer market after the Frenchman scored 20 goals in his debut season at Lyon.
The 26-year-old’s loan move to Atletico Madrid turned out to be a complete waste of time, with him only receiving 140 minutes of action. That said, he once again proved his scoring talents last season, recording 22 goals and 5 assists from 36 appearances across all competitions for Lyon.
If there is one area that requires major surgery at Goodison Park, it is the strike force. Neal Maupay’s performances have been ineffective, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin has struggled to produce after a string of injuries.
Everton needs to bring in a proven goalscorer as Frank Lampard looks to engineer another survival push, but wasting away the money on veterans like Zapata and Arnautovic, who are well into their thirties, will only be a stop-gap solution to aggravate their financial woes and just doesn’t make sense.
Dembele’s age, pace, movement, and finishing ability make him an excellent fit for Everton, and Toffees fans would be thrilled with this kind of transfer in January.
Lyon may also be enticed by the prospect of recouping a transfer fee for a player who will walk away on a free transfer in six months. It remains to be seen if Everton step up their interest in Dembele in the next days of the transfer window.
