Manchester United battle Southampton to sign Olympique Lyonnais star Moussa Dembele
According to the French source Media Foot Marseille (h/t The Sun), Manchester United are currently rivalling Southampton to sign Olympique Lyonnais star Moussa Dembele in the summer transfer window. He has been linked with a move elsewhere, which could now become a reality as the former entered the race.
Man United are assessing their options after Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag is adamant that the talisman will stay with them beyond this summer, but that has not stopped them from contacting Olympic Lyon for Dembele, having enquired about him in the past.
In fact, it is claimed that the Red Devils would be willing to table a proposal for Dembele if Ronaldo leaves ahead of the next season. The Lyon ace would be available on a cut-price deal with his current contract expiring next summer, making him a feasible target indeed.
Dembele, a replacement for Ronaldo?
Dembele is on the back of a terrific campaign with Lyon despite running into an injury that halted his run of form during that period. He scored 22 goals and assisted five times for his side last season from 36 matches across all competitions which is a solid return indeed.
That output is all the more impressive considering the fact that the French giants had endured a difficult time last time around. The Frenchman seems to have finally overcome the struggles he suffered a while back after showing great promise in the early stages of his playing career.
Being just 25 years of age, Dembele can be a great acquisition indeed for the right price as his ability to be a “fox in the box” while also being able to take part in combination plays makes him ideal for ten Hag’s style of play. After all, Sebastien Haller used to do the same at Ajax under the manager.
That being said, in an ideal scenario, it would be best if we could keep hold of Ronaldo while also signing the Frenchman to meet our needs. Edinson Cavani’s exit has left a gaping hole in the centre-forward area that must be filled this summer.
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Dembele could prove to be a great shout for that reason, and he could even lead the line in the future as Ronaldo needs to be replaced anyway. However, the Saints would not make it easy for us as they are desperate for an addition in the striker role for the upcoming campaign.
That is because Armando Broja has returned from his loan spell to Chelsea, leaving Ralph Hasenhuttl in a bit of a pickle right now. Whether Dembele would move to Carrington or not remains to be seen.
