The Daily Mail has recently reported that Newcastle United are eyeing a January move for Olympique Lyonnais striker Moussa Dembele. It is understood that the Magpies have identified the French forward as a potential option for the upcoming winter transfer window.
Dembele’s Impressive Numbers In French Football
The 25-year-old has caught the eye at times with his performances as the focal point of Lyon’s attack during this campaign. Dembele has banged in four goals and grabbed one assist in 12 matches for the French side this season across all competitions.
The Pontoise-born talent has done a bit of everything for Lyon in the final third based on his average of 1.0 tackles, 1.1 clearances, 1.9 shots, 1.1 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Ligue 1. However, he has been sloppy when interchanging possession with his teammates in the opposition half as he has completed just 64% of his attempted passes in the top tier of French football (stats via whoscored).
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Is Dembele A Good Option For Newcastle United?
Dembele is a quick and agile forward who can be quite clever with his movement in and around the opponent’s penalty box. He can be a decent finisher in the final third when he is playing well on the field and doesn’t mind running the channels so that he can always provide his teammates with an outlet in the final third.
The French sensation can even orchestrate a few promising goal-scoring opportunities for others around him. However, he can give away the ball cheaply at times in the opposition half. Plus, Dembele has been quite injury-prone, so there are some question marks over his long-term fitness.
Newcastle can definitely use a striker of Dembele’s skillset as they need to add more goals to their attack. The Frenchman could form a lethal attacking partnership with Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin at St. James’ Park if the Magpies can arrange a move to land him this winter. He will undoubtedly add some pace and goals to Eddie Howe’s attack which makes him a decent option for the Tyneside outfit to consider at the start of next year.
