Man Utd and Chelsea should move on Dembele after Lyon rejection
Robin Bairner
- 24 Aug 2022 13:45 BST
- 3 min read
An attainable striking option for both Manchester United and Chelsea has just come onto the market in the form of Lyon striker Moussa Dembele.
Not used so far this season following the return of Alexandre Lacazette to OL, Dembele finished the 2021/22 campaign having posted some remarkable numbers. He scored 21 goals in 30 league outings for Lyon and performed better in an attacking role than Lionel Messi did at PSG. Indeed, he was one of the top-ranked forwards in Ligue 1.
Now, he has rejected a new contract at Lyon, according to L’Equipe, making him very much eligible for a transfer.
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Dembele is out of contract in 2023 and Lyon had already publicly expressed their plan for him should this eventuality be reached.
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.”
How much would Moussa Dembele cost?
FootballTransfers rates Dembele’s value at €11m, which could make him a bargain addition to either club, but Lyon are hoping to hold out for €20m.
Both Manchester United and Chelsea are in the hunt for a forward, and while the Blues may have feel they have found a solution in Aubameyang, Barcelona have been slippery customers in the transfer market this season. The Lyon forward should be considered as an alternative.
Man Utd, meanwhile, simply need another offensive option, regardless of Cristiano Ronaldo’s future, and Dembele could provide that. They have long been regarded as admirers of Dembele, who previously played at Fulham and Celtic.
