Southampton join Everton and Aston Villa with attempt to sign Moussa Dembele after Frank Lampard held direct talks
Southampton have made an offer to sign Lyon forward Moussa Dembele in the summer after a January pursuit from Everton, Foot Mercato reports.
Former Toffees boss Frank Lampard had held direct talks with the former Fulham and Celtic striker, who is due to leave the Ligue 1 side in the summer when his contract expires, but after he was sacked the push to bring him to Goodison Park appears to have regressed.
Aston Villa had also considered a move this month but are also now more interested in a summer acquisition.
Sean Dyche still needs help in attack, and Foot Mercato state that Dembele has “never hidden his love” for the Premier League, but at the same time as the Toffees look like they might be muscling the Saints out of the race for Rennes winger Kamaldeen Sulemana [talkSPORT, 30 January], Nathan Jones’ side have stolen into the race for the Lyon man.
Of all the players whose contracts are expiring at the French club the prospect of Dembele leaving before the transfer deadline is apparently “most lively”, but Everton look like they have fallen back heading into the final day.
On a plate
Dembele is still only 26 and isn’t going to cost a full fee with just six months left on his contract, so with Everton in clear need of help in the goal scoring department it is no wonder that Lampard made a push for him.
With the former Chelsea man now replaced by Dyche it would make sense for the ex-Burnley boss to pick up the slack, unless he has an alternative target in mind.
Two Premier League rivals are now eyeing up a free transfer in the summer, so the door is open now to land a proven scorer for a cut-price.
Dembele hasn’t been so prolific this season as his time comes to an end at the Groupama Stadium but he is only half a season removed from netting 21 league goals, and at a reduced fee it seems like a reduced risk.
Everton have struggled to land attacking targets all month, with Arnaut Danjuma jumping ship for Tottenham at the last, Iliman Ndiaye rejecting a move from Sheffield United, and Blackburn’s Ben Brereton Diaz agreeing a pre-contract to move to La Liga.
But it looks like a player who is keen on a move to England and shouldn’t cost too much isn’t on the cards unless the new manager picks up where the old one left off.
Goodison News pundit Kevin Campbell was in favour of partnering the Frenchman with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, to the benefit of both, but with little over 24 hour left in the window time is running out to make that a reality.