£36m-rated striker would be open to joining Manchester United: report - originally posted on Sportslens.com
Lyon striker Moussa Dembele would find it hard to turn down a move to Manchester United during this summer’s transfer window, a report from Manchester Evening News claims.
The France international joined the Ligue 1 outfit from Celtic in the summer of 2018 and he has since contributed 44 goals and 13 assists from just 88 appearances in all competitions.
According to Manchester Evening News, the 23-year-old remains a keen admirer of the Red Devils and would be tempted by the prospect of joining them at the end of the campaign.
However, it is added that United don’t consider him as an option at the moment and the transfer would be dependent on the decision made by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
United have primarily used video analysis to identify their striker targets but they have recently shifted to a more data-driven approach and have added RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner to their summer shortlist.
Solskjaer’s side have largely depended on Anthony Martial to lead the line this season while the likes of Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, who can play upfront, have primarily featured on left and right wing respectively.
Meanwhile, loan signing Odion Ighalo has got his fair share of games following his mid-season move from Shanghai Shenhua but the manager has not fancied him for a Premier League start.
Considering this, the Red Devils surely need a quality competitor to Martial for the centre-forward role and Dembele could be considered, given he is a natural striker with good dribbling and finishing skills.
Dembele, who has netted 22 times in the current season, could be available for £36m, as per Transfermarkt. Should United sign him, he would be regarded as a home-grown player, having started his professional career with Fulham in the Championship.
The Frenchman spent four years with the Cottagers between 2012 and 2016 before he made the switch to Celtic on a free transfer for a small compensation fee of £500,000.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
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