Arsenal plan surprise £25m Moussa Dembele transfer

Ladies and gentlemen, it is here. Transfer season is upon us. Even with the summer window not opening until June 9, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are already well underway with their plans to revamp their failing squad as eyes are on Moussa Dembele.

Not the former Tottenham midfielder, it’s worth adding, who on his day was a hugely underrated player, but instead a former Bhoy who has not had the best of times over in La Liga with Atletico Madrid, a club well known to Arsenal following their previous summer business.

Quality strikers at a good age and with good pedigree are hard to come by. Due to that, Moussa Dembele’s name has been linked with every club in search of a new No. 9, be it Manchester United or Chelsea, who have been searching for a centre-forward in recent seasons.

Since moving to Lyon from Celtic 2018 the 24-year-old has been among the goals in Ligue 1, netting 20 in all competitions in his debut campaign and following that up with 24 in 2019/20.

Arsenal plan surprise £25m Moussa Dembele transfer from Lyon in summer window

It all went sour for Dembele this season, finding the back of the net just once in 16 outings at Lyon before joining Atletico Madrid on a six-month loan in the winter.

A string of injuries and lack of form has restricted him to just six outings with Los Rojiblancos, during which time he’s yet to register a single goal.

As per The Telegraph, Arsenal are weighing up their options up front this summer with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah set to leave which has turned their attentions to the Frenchman. The Gunners have looked into his availability with his loan spell in Spain due to end at the end of the season and Atletico unlikely to activate the £30m release clause given his non-existent goal return.

Lyon, as with all top-flight French clubs, have been hit hard by the TV licensing issues with Mediapro’s initial €3.25bn payout over four seasons lasting just four months and no buyer found for the TV rights since. Ligue 1 will be a hunting ground for sides across Europe and Les Gones’ £25m valuation could even have some wiggle room.

Are Arsenal right to make this move or should they look at other options? The report adds there are more in sight.

Moussa Dembele the Right Profile of Striker for Arsenal

The Celtic connection here is interesting. Arsenal, as added in the report, are still keeping a watchful eye on Odsonne Edouard, who will be available for less this summer with a deal somewhere between £15m-£20m enough for the Bhoys to sell.

Securing the right profile is imperative for Arsenal. They have to get the signings bang on and with Dembele they’re certainly in the right ballpark, just have brought the wrong bat.

At 24 years old, with a strong physical presence, experience in Europe both domestically and in the Champions League as well as having played in England (and even London) before, he really does fit the bill.

However, it’s hard to look past his worrying scoring rates this season. Granted, in the opening 16 games of the Ligue 1 season he started only six times, but the lack of return doesn’t set the pulses racing when what Arsenal’s own abysmal goal return this season is in need of amending.

Dembele can count himself unlucky by losing his place in the starting lineup just five matches into the season and then fracturing his arm before being tasked with breaking into a side on course for their domestic league crown, which will be where Arteta will add mitigation.

The striker is comfortable playing the lone role up front in either a 4-3-3 or a 4-3-2-1, but at £25m and with the infamously tough negotiator Jean-Michel Aulas to deal with, there is risk attached. Edouard remains an enticing option but there are others available, too.

Many will point to whether Arsenal even need a centre-forward with Folarin Balogun, Aubameyang and potentially Martinelli to play that role and with no midweek football to contend with, especially if the shoestring budget limits where they can strengthen.

Dembele is a well-rounded striker who has not had the rub of the green this season. Form, fitness and those ahead of him excelling haven’t helped his case, and while he may not be the striker, Arsenal are looking at the right mould.