According to the latest reports, Premier League giants Manchester United and Arsenal are keeping tabs on signing Olympique Lyonnais superstar Moussa Dembele in the upcoming summer transfer window. The French forward has had an impressive season with the Ligue 1 giants and that has attracted interest from quite a few top suitors on the European continent.
Manchester United have changed drastically ever since Jose Mourinho left the club back in December and management decided to appoint a familiar face in the form of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to take charge of the club at least until the end of the season. However, the Norwegian has exceeded expectations at Old Trafford in his short spell as he took Manchester United into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and also got them competing for a top-four spot in the Premier League. These impressive displays, along with positive and thoughtful football, made United hand over the job to Solskjaer on a permanent basis. However, 46-year-old knows that he needs to reinforce his squad if he wants to win and compete for silverware on a regular basis with Manchester United in the near future.
Solskjaer has admitted that he wants to bolster his attacking line and has targeted Lyon forward Moussa Dembele as a potential summer target, leaving the future of Romelu Lukaku uncertain. However, United are not the only club interested in signing the 22-year-old powerful striker as English rivals Arsenal are also in the hunt for Dembele’s services.
Unai Emery has done well with Arsenal since taking charge of the club in the summer of 2018 by replacing Arsene Wenger. The Spanish boss has led Arsenal to the Europa League quarter-finals and they look like serious contenders to go on and win the competition as well. Arsenal are in the race for the Champions League berth as well and if they win their remaining games they will be guaranteed a top-four spot. However, even Emery wants to bolster his squad for next season given that he wants to add titles and silverware to the club. The 47-year-old wants a goalscoring forward to partner up alongside Alexandre Lacazette and is keen on luring Moussa Dembele to the Emirates Stadium.
Manchester United are keeping close tabs on Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, according to the Daily Mirror.
The 22-year-old former Celtic striker has 18 goals in all competitions this season, with Arsenal also reportedly interested. pic.twitter.com/WnjFLMdqpa
— Futball Select (@futballselect) April 15, 2019
Dembele has scored 18 times this season for Lyon and helped the club to third place in the Ligue 1 table. He is a powerful striker who is good in the air and can also hold up play to involve his teammates in the game. Dembele is also quick and has a knack of getting into the right place at the right time to score important goals. He arrived in Lyon last year for a transfer fee of £20m from Scottish club Celtic and that will be heavily raised in the current market after his terrific displays for the French side this term.
However, Manchester United hold the advantage of signing Dembele as Arsenal will have to work on a transfer budget and may not be able to afford the 22-year-old attacker this summer. Which club eventually does sign him, remains to be seen.