Rijo Sam Daniel
Manchester United dealt two transfer blows in pursuit of Olympic Lyon striker Moussa Dembele
According to Manchester Evening News, Manchester United have received two transfer blows in their interest to finalise a move for Lyon striker Moussa Dembele in the summer transfer window. He has been in fine form of late and has contributed to his side’s resurgence following a disappointing start to the season.
Dembele will see his current contract with Olympique Lyonnais expire at the end of the 2022-23 season. Man United have made initial approaches to sign him following Ralf Rangnick’s demands to bring in a young striker next summer. However, he is not alone in the shortlist and is accompanied by several other players.
Moreover, the Red Devils could be dealt two potential blows due to the Frenchman’s stance. He is willing to listen to offers from elsewhere and would only take a final decision based on the club’s project. That being said, he is not desperate to leave Lyon, and a source close to his camp expressed that the attacker would not enjoy a starting spot should he move to Old Trafford.
Potential roadblocks?
The 25-year-old is currently the vice-captain of the French side and is a regular starter for them as well. As such, it would not be a surprise if the striker has doubts about joining the Manchester club due to the risk of a reduced prominence compared to his current team.
The Ligue 1 attacker’s lack of strong desire for a departure could also cause troubles if we decide to actively pursue him moving forward. Then again, it is good to know that he would at least entertain any proposals which could be useful in making our case to the centre-forward.
The Lyon ace has nine goals and three assists to his name this season from 22 appearances across all competitions. He has been terrific recently, and his output would probably increase even further in a better system.
Dembele largely struggled to impress in the Championship with Fulham and his spells at Celtic and Lyon can offer little assurance as to whether he will be a hit in the PL or not.
Dembele could be a fine option to add to the forward department, looking at the current squad nonetheless. Marcus Rashford is assessing his future due to a lack of minutes, whereas Anthony Martial’s loan spell to Sevilla shows where he stands in the pecking order. Moreover, Edinson Cavani will become a free agent in the coming months and is set to leave next summer.
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Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at the Manchester club will come to an end sometime, while Mason Greenwood’s absence, coupled with Jesse Lingard’s contract expiry, adds further problems. With all these potential setbacks that could unravel, we may need to actively target Dembele after all. Whether that would happen or not remains to be seen.
