Lyon’s Moussa Dembele seems to be another name on the Manchester United’s transfer list this summer.
Dembele, who will be 23 before the next season kicks-off in August, has 27 goal contributions in 47 appearances for the Ligue 1 side across all competitions this season.
According to a report from the Sun, Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, in order to revamp the squad, could make a £40 million move for the young Frenchman who has done well after joining Lyon from Celtic last summer.
Moussa Dembele would add some much needed spark to Manchester United
Dembele’s signing could set the stone for a new era at Old Trafford as United look to move away from splashing the money on the just popular and big-name players. Ole’s attempt to rejuvenate the dressing room with a younger, hungrier squad could kick off with a £40m coup of the French centre-forward.
The 22-year-old never shies away from taking on defenders, and is clinical in front of goal, something United lack in the final third. Dembele’s aerial prowess, composure on the ball, and the ability to dribble past defenders are some of his key attributes, and he would add a lot more freshness to the attack.
Romelu Lukaku has already hinted he might play in Italy next, and his agent publicly mentioned that the 26-year-old is considering his options, which is never a good sign. The Belgian had a subpar season, so Dembele could very well become the new face of the Red Devils attack.
Big Rom, as many like to call him, joined United from Everton two years ago for a record £75m fee but has never looked like a player who can score when his team need him to. Lukaku scored 12 goals in 32 appearances in the Premier League which is less than Dembele’s 14 goals in 31 appearances for the Ligue 1 side.
A case can be made for the qualities of the leagues they play in, but Lukaku’s overall game play still remains a big worry, the answer to which seems lost and out of the reach of Solskjaer.
Other than the stats, Dembele’s pace and technicality are other things which present him as a better option compared to Lukaku, who it seems like has sacrificed his pace for muscle since his Everton days.
All in all, adding Dembele to the team sounds like a good idea to instil some freshness into the attack irrespective of Lukaku’s transfer status.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored