According to GiveMeSport Manchester United could look at Lyon striker Moussa Dembele after prime target Cody Gakpo goes to Liverpool.
United are desperately in need of a striker to lead the line if Anthony Martial gets injured or to give the United number nine a challenge for his position.
The fellow Frenchman Dembele has now been at Olympique Lyonnais for three years and has played 157 games scoring 69 goals, with his best-ever season for goals being in his second season at the French outlet scoring 21 goals in 30 games.[transfermarkt]
BREAKING: Liverpool have completed the signing of Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven ✍️🔴 pic.twitter.com/epWEOKPQmt
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 28, 2022
The £44.3 million transfer of Cody Gakpo to Liverpool has fully affected Manchester United, as the Red Devils seem to be in a state of panic about needing a talisman up front.
Hence why there is so much speculation around strikers in Europe who United could sign, however, this has not been the first time United and Dembele have crossed paths with former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer apparently wanting the 26-year-old in 2019.
Goncalo Ramos?
Moussa Dembele?
Cody Gakpo?
Joao Felix?xG stats and pressing figures suggest the ideal #mufc signing could be one of these players, as we discuss on the latest pod: https://t.co/l20QSHtAMm pic.twitter.com/WWa9O8MzUv
— Name On The Trophy – Manchester United analysis 🔴 (@OnTheTrophy) December 23, 2022
Journalist Dean Jones spoke to GiveMeSport and said “They’ve still got players on the radar. I think Moussa Dembele is a good one in terms of value and availability, so they might look at that again. But there are others, too.”
Current manager Erik Ten Hag may be wary that Moussa Dembele is not a player who can consistently press the opposition as Gakpo would have, the Lyon number nine is more of a Romelu Lukaku mould of player as he has good link-up play and can hold the ball up with a decent amount of pace and physicality to lead the line.