Olympique Lyonnais centre-forward Moussa Dembele is on Manchester United’s radar, as per reports.
Red Devils are keeping close tabs on the 23-year-old in case Romelu Lukaku ends up moving to Serie A side Inter Milan by the time the transfer window reaches its conclusion, according to a report from the Daily Mirror.
The Belgian international, who had a substandard 2018-19 season at Old Trafford, spoke highly of the Italian top flight, and expressed his desire to play in Italy someday.
Dembele, on the other hand, impressed everyone with his immaculate displays last season. He plundered 23 goals and managed 6 assists in 52 appearances across all competitions for Lyon.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of the former Celtic and Fulham man in case he ends up in Manchester before the season kicks-off in August.
PROS
The Lyon striker is a modern-day number nine who is a clinical finisher and boasts great technical ability with the ball at his feet.
The right-footed striker never backs down from taking on players, and possesses the ability to beat them at will with his excellent footwork and turn of pace.
Dembele averaged a pass success of 73.8%, 0.8 dribbles and 2.8 shots per game across all competitions last term, which highlights his confidence in the final third.
The 23-year-old, who stands in at 6ft tall, boasts supreme aerial prowess and uses his physicality well to stamp his authority on the pitch.
The Lyon forward also possesses the capacity to pick out a teammate in a scoring position, thus posing a direct threat to the opposition goal in situations where he can’t score himself.
CONS
The Frenchman trumps Lukaku in most departments on the pitch, from goals to assist and so on, but a case for the quality of the leagues cannot be overlooked by any means.
It remains to be seen if Dembele can adjust quickly to the Premier League, where the tackles are meaner, and the pace is quicker.
The 23-year-old’s defensive contribution and hold up play needs to improve as well.
Dembele was dispossessed for a total of 1.2 times per game while managing 0.3 tackles, 0.1 interceptions, 0.4 clearances and 0.1 blocks per 90 minutes across all competitions last season.
Stat Courtesy: Transfermarkt, Whoscored
