Man Utd to revive transfer interest in Moussa Dembele this summer with Solskjaer desperate for £60million Lyon striker

Posted Thursday, February 13, 2020 by Thesun.co.uk

Man Utd to revive transfer interest in Moussa Dembele this summer with Solskjaer desperate for £60million Lyon striker
Lyon are prepared to sell Manchester United and Chelsea target Moussa Dembele this summer Credit: Reuters

MANCHESTER UNITED are set to revive their interest in Moussa Dembele this summer as they rival Chelsea for the Lyon star's signature, according to reports.

The 23-year-old was a key target for both Premier League sides during the January window, with the Blues having had a £33.6million offer turned down in January.

Lyon insisted that the Frenchman would not be sold midway through the season, but L’Equipe report that the club are actively searching for a replacement.

The Blues remain interested in luring him to Stamford Bridge - but the Manchester Evening News claim that United could also revive their interest.

It is believed that Dembele could cost any potential suitor in the region of £60million.

United were dealt a major blow when top target Erling Haaland snubbed them in favour of a Borussia Dortmund switch.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ended up completing a bizarre deadline day loan move for Odion Ighalo from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.

But the Norwegian will be looking for bigger names in the summer, having sent scouts to watch Dembele in action twice last month.

The ex-Celtic star has been in fine form for Lyon this season - chipping in with 19 goals and six assists in 35 games in all competitions.

And speaking on the Transfer Window podcast, Duncan Castles says United could have landed him in January if they were prepared to pay Lyon's asking price.

He said: “Moussa Dembele is strongly interested in playing for Manchester United.

“I think they could have signed the player in January if they had managed to agree a fee with Lyon. But it would have been a really substantial fee.

“Olympique Lyonnais president [Jean-Michel Aulas] was intimating that he would want €100million for the player.

“In many ways it makes more sense to wait until the summer in terms of trying to get that fee down because then Lyon can plan and replace and have a better situation for them to sell the player.

“But again they are going to have the issue there of should another big, English club come in for Dembele and go head-to-head with them, Chelsea are obviously a strong candidate there, Chelsea actually bid for Dembele in the January window, which one will he choose?”