Olympique Lyonnais striker Moussa Dembele has issued a transfer update ahead of the January window, with the reported Aston Villa attacker hinting that he could stay with the Ligue 1 side.
Speaking to Foot Mercato, the 26-year-old forward teased that there’s now a chance that he could stay with Lyon with Dembele’s contract entering its final six months, with Villa one of the clubs interested in signing the former Celtic superstar.
Jeunes Footeux recently reported that the Premier League side were keen on signing Dembele in 2023 in a deal that could have been quite the bargain for Unai Emery’s side. However, the striker’s latest stance on his Lyon future could throw such plans into disarray.
The incoming Spanish manager will likely receive financial backing to improve the Villa squad in January in how he sees fit. And signing Dembele would have been quite the coup for Emery given the forward’s record over the years for Lyon in both Ligue 1 and in Europe.
However, the attacker’s latest comments have seemingly shed light on Dembele potentially staying with Lyon. With the forward impressed with the work being done at the French club by new manager Laurent Blanc, who has rejuvenated the Ligue 1 giants in recent weeks.
Dembele said on his future with Lyon: “I said I wanted to take my time to make a rational decision at the end of the season. The arrival of Laurent Blanc gave us a new lease of life and pushed us to work harder because obviously everyone wants to show off. This new project can make me want to continue at Lyon, of course. After that, one season is a long time.”
Moussa Dembele transfer update is a blow for Aston Villa
January is already shaping up to be quite an important month for Villa, with Emery already under pressure to make the moves in the market that could get the Villa Park side back into the top half of the Premier League standings, and missing out on Dembele would be quite the blow.
Indeed, the French attacker would offer something different to Villa’s current crop of forwards, and with Dembele’s contract ending next summer, a potential bargain is on the cards if the 26-year-old fails to sign a new contract with Lyon before the January window.
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