Olympique Lyonnais striker Moussa Dembele is open to a move to Manchester United this summer according to the Manchester Evening News. United were last linked to the player last summer as they looked to replace Romelu Lukaku, who signed for Inter Milan last summer and most notably did not win the UEFA Europa League on Friday evening, although he scored the goal that won the match for Sevilla. The 24-year-old is considered to be a hot prospect this season.

In his second season at Lyon, Dembele made a total of 46 appearances, despite the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons being cancelled shortly after suspension because of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year. The Frenchman has scored 24 goals and seven assists this season, playing in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Coupe de la Ligue and the UEFA Champions League, reaching the semi-finals where Lyon were beaten 3-0 by finalists Bayern Munich.

Dembele could well be a player that fits into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad this summer with the club needing an out and out striker. However, in January, United signed Odion Ighalo from Shanghai Shenhua for the remainder of the season, which was extended due to the coronavirus pandemic with United keeping the player until the end of January 2021. Based on that, United’s need for a striker could see the club wait until January to secure a deal or even finalise a deal but signing one this summer would be a boost for the squad.

Dembele is a player that has a lot of respect from United supporters, especially after defied all odds with the French club beating Manchester City in the quarter-final of the Champions League this season with the Frenchman scoring a brace to win the match after replacing former United forward Memphis Depay in the 75th minute of the match, scoring his first in the 79th minute, restoring the French clubs lead then sealing the win with his second in the 87th minute of the match.

Next season though, Lyon will not be playing European football, not qualifying for either the Champions League or the Europa League after finishing in seventh place in Ligue 1 after the season was cancelled. Lyon club legend and sporting director Juninho feels that the clubs future is safe but that there will be departures this summer. Speaking to RMC Sport and reported by The Sun, Juninho said:

“The aim now is to continue working, immediately with Ligue 1. We will have to work. If we continue like this, we will be back in this competition.

“When you are well paid, you need motivation every day, we are going to concentrate on Ligue 1. There are the basics.

“There will be departures, but I am not worried. When you have players who play very well in a competition like this, like Moussa [Dembele] and Houssem [Aouar]…

“We will have to show the same spirit to be back in the Champions League next season.”

Written by John Walker

Manchester United will apparently step up their pursuit of Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, according to reports. It has been stated that it is though the player’s transfer value may have dropped because of the coronavirus pandemic which has swept the world, suspended world football with so far only the Bundesliga back in action ahead of its third weekend back.

The pandemic has had a high financial reaction on all businesses around the world with it to take its toll on football too, with United already losing £28 million which was announced recently. The longer supporters are kept away from stadiums will result in even more financial losses for clubs. This could be good for the transfer market.

In recent years, massive fees have been paid for players who have become mediocre with European players heavily inflated, even after one good season of football, costing many clubs money when the player does not fit into place and is then sold for a lesser fee or worse, released on the expiry of their contract.

Dembele has been a player who has been linked to the Old Trafford club a few times but more recently under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he has continued to be linked to the club. This would suggest that the Norwegian is interested in the player, which could culminate in the player being signed by the club, if the price is right.

United signed Odion Ighalo during the January transfer window on a six-month loan deal and would like to keep him for the remainder of the season, if Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua will allow him, seemingly with United only viewing him as a short-term option. This could reinforce the fact that Solskjaer has eyes for another striker.

It has been reported that the coronavirus pandemic could see Dembele available for around £45 million, which at this moment in time, would be a good result for both United and Lyon. The French club, on the cancellation of Ligue 1 back in April, meaning the club will miss out on European football, something United should still have.

Manchester United are reportedly increasingly confident of signing French striker Moussa Dembele this summer with a £60 million deal mooted, according to reports. It has been suggested that the Frenchman has made it clear that he would rather sign for United than Chelsea, who are also interested in bringing the player back to London.

The Old Trafford club are optimistic of signing the 23-year-old Ligue 1 striker has scored 22 goals and a further seven assists in 42 appearances for Lyon this season, playing in Ligue 1, the UEFA Champions League, the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue – playing a total of 3,309 minutes of football before the league was cancelled.

Last month, it was announced by the French Government that sporting events in the country were to be banned until at least September because of the coronavirus pandemic, this resulted in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 being cancelled – some players feel that this was too early a call to make, but it happened making Paris Saint-Germain the champions again.

The form of the Frenchman this season prompted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to send scouts to watch him on three occasions this season, giving more weight in the fact that United seem to be pursuing the player to the point whereby they want to sign him. The 23-year-old was linked to United last summer with the departure of Romelu Lukaku.

Dembele was also high up Frank Lampard’s wish list for the summer with the Chelsea manager seeking to bolster his attacking options. The London club made a bid for the player during the January transfer window, which failed. However, the Lyon president, Jean-Michel Aulas, has admitted that he may be forced to cash in on the player this summer.

The club finished seventh in Ligue 1 this season, after the league being cancelled, which may force the club to take legal action as this was the first time the club had finished outside European competition places for the last 23 years and for this reason, the club could lose some of their prized assets, of which Dembele is one.

Dembele has knowledge of football in England, coming through the academy at Fulham and playing 64 times for the first team, scoring 19 goals and a further nine assists at the club. He was then sold to Celtic where he played 94 times for the Scottish club, scoring 51 goals and a8 assists at the club. He knows how to find the back of the net.

At Lyon, where he has spent the past two seasons, Dembele has played 88 times, scoring 42 goals and 13 assists at the club helping him catch the attention of United and Chelsea. Solskjaer seems to be a big admirer of the player and there is no doubt that the Frenchman would form a good attacking presence with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.

United will have a lot of work to do during the summer transfer window, whenever it opens as the 2019/20 season has not yet been concluded, although we could know more at the beginning of next week with this week being a big week for Project Restart, which is finding a way of completing the season, although it could still be cancelled yet.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solakjaer is reportedly lining up a transfer bid for France and Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, according to reports. The United manager will be seeking to improve his forward line, also stacking up on options after losing both Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, at times, to injury during the 2019/20 season.

Dembele has made a total of 42 appearances for this club this season, before the coronavirus pandemic halted world football, subsequently cancelling the season in France with all sporting events being cancelled by the Government until later in the year. He has scored 22 goals in all competitions, also assisting seven further goals.

These are the sort of figures that Solskjaer would expect to see from a striker in his team. It would take some pressure off Martial and Rashford, also allow the likes of Mason Greenwood to grow in the team ready for what is expected to be a brilliant future for the player. Coming through the academy at Fulham, Dembele would be classed as home grown.

In the past, both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have held an interest in the French striker – neither club making a solid move for him, despite playing for Fulham already in his career. United are reportedly interested in quickly moving for the player because of the coronavirus pandemic with clubs around Europe likely to struggle financially.

United have suggested that their healthy finances could help them in the upcoming transfer window with Solskjaer seeking to sign players to help him complete his team ready for a new challenge. With French football being ended until at least September, Dembele, with English football likely to continue this season, would have more certainty.

Lyon finished the French season in seventh place, missing out on European football next season, which is something that United could find would be somewhat certain, even if the season does finish now for the Premier League teams, unless a different approach at ending the season was found. United are seemingly guaranteed UEFA Europa League football next season, although with Manchester City banned, UEFA Champions League football could be possible.

United signed Odion Ighalo from Shanghai Shenhua during the January transfer window, on a six-month loan spell. The 30-year-old Nigerian striker was said to be a top target for the summer, but a £400,000 a week contract extension from the Chinese club could cause problems as United would not be able to offer him anything similar.

The fact the coronavirus pandemic as happened, meaning United’s financial clout could get them what they want, could be a good thing for English football and United in particular. Dembele is one of the best rising stars in world football and could lead the line for United for the best part of a decade if he does move to the Old Trafford club.

United being in the Champions League next season would be a great bargaining position for United to lure Dembele to the Old Trafford club next season, so the resumption of the Premier League season would be a good thing for United, who finished in fifth place, three points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea after the season was suspended in March.

Lyon forward Moussa Dembele has been the focus of a lot of attention for a while now and his club issued a hands off warning last month with interest resurfacing during the January transfer window. However, the club seem resigned to losing the player in the summer as long as their valuation of the player is met.

According to reports in the media, Lyon have slapped an £83 million price tag on their asset ahead of the summer transfer window. Manchester United and Chelsea both hold an interest in the player with Dembele being linked to United last summer as they sold Romelu Lukaku and with Chelsea seeking strengthening this coming summer.

Jean-Michel Aulas, the president of Lyon, spoke last week about the players the club has and that they will sell the players who want to leave to where they want to go, which sounds positive leaving the ball in the court of both United and Chelsea to convince the player to sign for them. Aulas said:

“We already have a certain number of offers for our players for summer. We sell the players who want to leave to where they want to go.”

It has been suggested that Chelsea had made an approach to sign Dembele during the January transfer window, although this has not been confirmed, rumours suggest that they were only prepared to offer £40 million for the Frenchman, which is clearly not enough to purchase him after this information about his price tag. Dembele recently said:

“I am a Lyon player and I will remain so until the end of the season.”

Manchester City, Newcastle United and West Ham United also seem interested in signing the 23-year-old this summer, although I am sure he would prefer to sign for United, City or Chelsea as opposed to the other two teams, one of which is currently in a relegation battle to remain in the Premier League. United is reportedly his preferred option.

United would need to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season, which would usually need them to finish in the top four of the Premier League, however, with City banned from the competition for two seasons, despite a pending appeal, finishing fifth would achieve that, as would winning the UEFA Europa League.

However, I am sure United would be seeking to finish inside the top four with them just three points adrift of Chelsea with 11 matches in the league still to be played this season, giving them the chance to break ahead of Frank Lampard’s side, who they have beaten three times this season; twice in the league and once in the Carabao Cup.

Dembele will be very familiar with England as he started his career at Fulham, leaving for Celtic then to Lyon. During this time, he has become a very good forward and one that many clubs could yet find interest in. Tottenham Hotspur will be in the market for a striker this summer after failing to sign one in January to cover Harry Kane’s injury.

This season, in 38 matches for Lyon, Dembele has scored 20 goals, assisted a further seven in 2,974 minutes of football. Whilst at Lyon, he has made a total of 84 appearances, scoring 40 goals and 13 assists. Whilst at Celtic, he made a total of 94 appearances, scoring 51 goals and 18 assists. At Fulham, in a first team environment, he made a total of 64 appearances, scoring 19 goals and nine assists.

Manchester United has reportedly submitted an initial offer for Lyon forward Moussa Dembele. The report comes from Benjamin Quarez of Goal in France. United has been linked to Dembele a few times already this year and with the speculation surrounding Romelu Lukaku and Inter Milan, this could be a suitable replacement for the Belgian.

The 22-year-old left Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 at the age of 16, signing for Fulham. He continued his development within their academy making the step up into the first team in the 2013/14 season. Dembele spent three seasons in the first team, making 64 appearances, scoring 19 goals.

In the summer of 2016, Dembele signed for Celtic and made his debut on his 20th birthday. The French youth international spent two full seasons in Scotland, leaving at the start of the third, making a total of 94 appearances, scoring 51 goals. Showing some improvement in his form.

At the start of the 2018/19 season, Dembele returned to France, signing for Lyon. To date, the now 22-year-old has made 45 appearances, scoring 20 goals. It is stated by Quarez that United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had sent club scouts to watch Dembele on a number of occasions, also wanting to know about the players’ attitude.

It would be a shame to see Lukaku leave United but under Solskjaer, it is clear that he does not fit in. It was great to see him score six goals in three consecutive matches under the Norwegian but after that, there was little coming from the Belgian, who seemed out of form. With the right service, I feel that Lukaku could bang in the goals for United but finding that service is the problem.

Since Solskjaer arrived at the club, he has stated many times that he would be targeting young and hungry players in a bid to give the club a future, building a team in a way similar to that of Sir Alex Ferguson. United has so far been linked to Daniel James, Sean Longstaff and Nathan Collins. Dembele is another to add to that list. There are also reports linking the club to RB Leipzig central defender Ibrahima Konaté.

Dembele has been linked to exits from clubs he has played for in the past, as Sport Witness have pointed out was the case when the Frenchman was playing for Celtic. This could be another case of this happening but if there is a deal to be had and the player wanted to leave France, returning to the Premier League, a deal could be had relatively easily.