After a dreadful 2018-19 campaign, Manchester United are expecting a mass exodus this summer and a squad overhaul to rebuild from scratch. Ole Gunnar Solskjær could not keep hold of the momentum despite a bright start since replacing Jose Mourinho. The upcoming term is tipped to be the decider for the Norwegian in the quest to secure his job as the new Old Trafford chief.
The Red Devils have been linked with an array of promising youngster over the last couple of weeks. Goal France has confirmed that United have reportedly tabled an offer in excess of £35m for the Olympique Lyonnais striking sensation Moussa Dembele.
The 22-year-old France youth international is in blistering form this season having notched 20 goals across all competition in the aftermath of a reported (as claimed by BBC Sport) £19.7m deadline day transfer from Celtic last summer. His sublime scoring instinct has caught the eyes of many and United, in search of an outright centre-forward to replace Romelu Lukaku, have now exhibited their eagerness in reforming the frontline before the upcoming pre-season within the next couple of months.
Dembele spent years in the academy ranks of Paris St-Germain before being snapped up by Fulham back in 2012. He soon earned a starting role in the English second tier and eventually plied his trade at Parkhead four years later. His astounding run under Brendan Rodgers (netted 51 goals in 94 appearances) led to a homecoming. However, a return to England is now on the cards amid interest from the red half of Manchester.
Man United have Marcus Rashford to spearhead the attack but, at the same time, need someone to complement him upfront. Lukaku could be offloaded having failed to impress since completing a mega-money swoop from Everton a couple of years back.
Dembele, though still in his early twenties, is more suited to Solskjær’s style with pace, calmness on the ball, composure and counter-attacking threats along with positioning, movements inside the box, indirect set-piece threat as well as strong dribbling attributes.
The transfer strategy, so far, has been more pragmatic and circumspect as the club is not running after high-profile names like previous terms. They are instead scouting young prospects with a bright future who would make things stable once this phase of transition is over. The supporters must stay calm and patient for some more time despite years of catastrophe and a move for Dembele should be encouraged to reconquer the lost glory.
