Chelsea has seen an initial bid of £34 million for Moussa Dembele rejected by Lyon, according to Sky Sports. The French forward has scored 10 goals in 16 appearances in Ligue 1 this season and has impressed those at Chelsea.
He is one of a number of options being weighed up by the club to provide back-up for Tammy Abraham. Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud have been deemed surplus to requirements, and Lampard is looking for reinforcements.
However, it seems that securing Dembele’s signature will not be easy. Lyon seem intent on keeping the 23-year-old at the Groupama Stadium and released a statement regarding his future on the club website on Thursday.
It read: ”Olympique Lyonnais have become aware of some media reports suggesting that Moussa Dembélé may be of interest to other clubs during the January transfer window. We would like to reaffirm our wish, as we did in the summer of 2019, to keep Moussa Dembélé.
The club has full confidence in Moussa and is counting on him in particular as we aim to build a successful team for the coming seasons.”
Lyon clearly see Dembele staying at the club for years to come. Chelsea may have to make a significantly larger offer if they are to be successful in their pursuit of the French striker.
TCC view
Dembele is proving himself to be a prolific striker in several European leagues. It is difficult to say whether he will be able to replicate this form in the Premier League, and signing him would be a risk for the Blues. If Chelsea have to pay upwards of £40-£50 million for his signature, it may be worth focusing on other targets.
Also, Dembele may not be keen on playing second fiddle to Tammy Abraham. After years of being the main man at Celtic and Lyon, he will not want to come to a club and see his career stall.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
