Manchester United are reportedly in the final stages of securing the signing of Lyon striker Moussa Dembele. The 23-year-old forward, who has previously played for Fulham and Celtic, will most likely be sold by the French club due to the difficult financial situation they are in.
As per Todofichajes, Lyon, Manchester United, and the player have agreed to a deal, which will see Moussa Dembele move to the Red Devils for a fee of £61.8 million when the transfer window opens. Premier League rivals Chelsea were also keen on signing the French forward who has scored 42 times for Lyon over the last two seasons.
The pandemic has hurt several clubs across the world, including Lyon, who will have to sell a few of their best players, Dembele being one of them.
Moussa Dembele: Right man for the job?
Moussa Dembele has been in top form over the last few seasons, first for Scottish giants Celtic, where he scored 51 goals in 94 games. This earned him a move to Lyon, where he has continued his prolific scoring. The 23-year-old striker is quick, is decent in the air, and is very good in and around the box.
Dembele is a predator in the penalty area, averaging 2.1 shots per game in the 2019-20 league season. He is a confident dribbler, who likes to drop deep and make things happen for his team with his pace, as well as play on the shoulder of the last defender, nullifying the offside trap to run at goal.
Manchester United have been crying out for a striker ever since the departure of Romelu Lukaku, who left the club to join Italian club, Inter Milan. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has played Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, and teenager Mason Greenwood, in the striker’s role in the 2019-20 season, but it’s quite obvious that they need more options up front- someone who can be backed to start regularly and score around 20 goals in a season.
They also need a player who can finish off chances in the box, which has been a problem for Manchester United. Odion Ighalo did a good job in his brief spell at the club, but if it’s a toss-up between the 30-year-old Ighalo and 23-year-old Dembele, the latter would be the wiser option to choose. Dembele is younger, quicker, and is a consistent goalscorer, which is why United should do everything to make sure this deal crosses the finish line.