Everton have submitted an offer to bring Lyon striker Moussa Dembele to Goodison Park, according to reports.
What's the latest on Dembele to Everton?
The Premier League outfit failed to sign a single new player in January and have found themselves in a relegation battle having not replaced Anthony Gordon with a proven goalscorer. Sean Dyche, though, is already planning for the upcoming window and has identified the 26-year-old as a target.
The Frenchman will be out of contract at the end of the season and has reportedly decided not to extend his stay, meaning that he will be a free agent up for grabs in the market – something which has alerted the chiefs at Goodison Park, but not for the first time.
The Mirror (via Goodison News) claims that the Toffees held talks regarding a move for the forward at the start of the year, but a deal failed to materialise before the deadline. However, with him now set to cost nothing, they have perhaps taken a huge step towards trying to secure him again.
According to French outlet Jeunes Footeux (via TEAMtalk), Everton have “offered” Dembele a four-year deal worth €5m (£4m) per season. The Lyon attacker is of “particular interest” to the Toffees, but they are set to face stiff competition from top-flight rivals Manchester United and Aston Villa, who are also in the mix. It is believed that he is “yet to decide” his next destination.
Were Everton right to make an offer for Dembele?
Everton won’t yet know whether they will still have their top-flight status and therefore the same financial backing next season, so it is a potential risk to be promising specific figures to transfer targets, but money aside, we think he is definitely the profile of striker they should be going for.
The Adidas-sponsored star has posted 199 goal contributions (152 goals and 47 assists) in 351 appearances throughout his career, where he ranks in the 91st percentile for shots compared strikers in Europe's top competitions over the past year, with this prolific form and threat in the opposition box having seen him nicknamed “The New Didier Drogba” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
The 6 foot 1 target man also knows what it takes to be successful having secured nine senior trophies since bursting onto the scene so would be able to instill his winning mentality into the rest of the squad that are currently on Merseyside.