Chelsea are reportedly set to ramp up their interest in Lyon striker Moussa Dembele. After an initial £34 million bid was rejected, The Sun has reported that the Blues will now offer Olivier Giroud as part of the deal.
Lyon have made it clear that they do not want Dembele to leave the club. They released a statement insisting that they will not be sanctioning a move. However, Chelsea seem keen to test the French clubs’ resolve with a more enticing bid.
The new bid is reported to be worth £6 million more in cash, with the added bonus of Olivier Giroud. The 33-year-old World Cup winner has found chances hard to come by at Stamford Bridge this season and has been somewhat frozen out.
He is keen on a January move to make sure he does not lose his place in the France squad for the European Championships this summer. If the deal were to go through, Giroud would likely become Lyon’s first-choice striker for the rest of the season.
Lampard will not want to overspend on Dembele and this could be the Blues final bid for the 23-year-old. The Chelsea boss has funds to spend but will be mindful that January signings are often unsuccessful. Spending £40m on a striker unproven in the Premier League would be a big risk.
If he were to join the club, Dembele would have to settle with being an understudy to Tammy Abraham. The English striker has been sublime for the Blues this season and is the undisputed first-choice number nine.
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