In a recent interview (via Manchester Evening News), Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas has revealed that the club are prepared to cash in on some of their players who want to leave at the end of this campaign. Aulas said, “We already have a certain number of offers for our players for summer. We sell the players who want to leave to where they want to go.”
Manchester Evening News has also mentioned that Manchester United were tracking the French striker Moussa Dembele last month but instead opted to sign Odion Ighalo on a loan deal. The Red Devils could revive their interest in acquiring the Lyon forward’s services ahead of the summer transfer window, so Aulas’ latest admission will give them a lot of hope in pursuit of the player.
Dembele’s Successful Spell In France
Dembele is having another excellent campaign in the Ligue 1, where he has banged in some memorable goals so far. He has enjoyed leading the charge for the French outfit and has managed to become a fan-favourite at the Groupama Stadium.
The ex-Fulham marksman has registered 19 goals and six assists in 36 matches for Lyon this term in all competitions. He has successfully managed to produce similar numbers to what he used to achieve during his previous spell at Celtic.
The 23-year-old has also gone on to average 2.0 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game in the French first division (stats via whoscored). Dembele’s goal-scoring exploits have helped Rudi Garcia’s side steer clear of the relegation zone and climb to the ninth place in the league table.
What Will The French Striker Bring To The Theatre Of Dreams?
Dembele is a mobile centre-forward who can hold the ball up and link-up play with his teammates in the final third. He can use his incredible upper body strength to overpower the opposition and get some powerful shots in at goal. The former Celtic man is an experienced striker who has managed to transform himself into a lethal finisher up top.
The Red Devils brought in Ighalo last month, but the jury is still out on whether he will be able to make a productive return to the Premier League. Marcus Rashford is still out of action until April with a double stress fracture. Hence, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be heavily dependent on the performances of Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood for the remainder of this campaign.
Will Dembele Be A Good Choice For Man United?
The Man United boss will be desperate to recruit a potent forward when Ighalo’s loan spell comes to an end next summer. Therefore, Dembele could be a decent choice to lead the line at Old Trafford based on his match-winning contributions for Lyon this season. He will not only add a lot of goals to Solskjaer’s attack but will also allow the likes of Rashford, Martial and Greenwood to be unleashed out on the wide positions.
The added flexibility will give the Norwegian head coach the option to tinker around with his formation so that he can get the most optimum level of performance from his starting XI every week.
