Better than Messi! Dembele's the man to solve Man Utd transfer problem
Robin Bairner
- 12 Aug 2022 14:42 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United’s striker problem could be solved by turning their attention to Lyon’s Moussa Dembele – a player who has long been associated with the Old Trafford club.
The Red Devils are having huge issues finding additional firepower in attack – even before considering the possibility that Cristiano Ronaldo could leave the club.
They have already been put off a move for Bologna’s Marko Arnautovic, while Red Bull Salzburg forward Benjamin Sesko appears set to remain where he is for at least another year.
Dembele, though, ticks a lot of boxes for the Red Devils – and the door has even been opened to him to leave Lyon this summer.
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'Extend or leave'
Speaking earlier this week about players who are out of contract in 2023, Lyon technical director Bruno Cheyrou declared to OLTV: “In this case, it’s either they extend or leave.
“As a club, we are entitled to ask that they commit to the medium term with us because we are at the beginning of a project over several years. We don't want to make it a ‘one-shot’ thing, a shot at the Champions League and then nothing. We want to stay as high as possible for as long as possible.
“We need to be able to have players fully involved in the project, but with a one-year contract, it's harder to imagine the guys being involved.”
Dembele is one of those out of contract next season, so the possibility of a deal with Lyon is real.
Dembele a leading Ligue 1 performer
Dembele may not match the profile of tall target man that Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag has been seeking, be he remains a capable player with his back to goal, represents a meaningful threat in the air and is a player who knows where the goal is.
Sure, he had his problems in Ligue 1 last season, but the fact that he finished the season in electric form is more representative of his potential. In the last 18 games of the season, he scored 17 times and finished third in the scoring charts behind PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Wissam Ben Yedder of Monaco.
Indeed, data analytics company SciSports rated his performance as a striker in Ligue 1 as the fourth best in the whole division, even eclipsing Lionel Messi.
Given the lack of options for Man Utd and Dembele’s obvious availability, it is a transfer that is well worth exploring for the Old Trafford side.
