Chelsea
have been linked with a January move for Lyon striker Moussa Dembele - but
what are the chances of the deal getting over the line?
Sky Sports News understands Lyon have rejected a £34m bid from Chelsea for
France international Dembele, with the Ligue 1 club adamant he will not be
sold this month.
ESPN's French football expert Jonathan Johnson offers the inside line on
Chelsea's pursuit of the former Celtic and Fulham striker on the latest
edition of the Transfer Talk podcast…
Moussa Dembele: The new Drogba?
"With regards to the comparison to Didier Drogba, he's obviously not as
physical as Drogba was at his peak at Chelsea but he has the potential to be
a prolific goalscorer, not only in France but in the Premier League in the
right team with the right service.
"He could very well be compatible alongside someone like Tammy Abraham in a
two-man attack, but he also works well when he is the focal point of the
attack.
"In time, I don't doubt Dembele would prove to be a smart purchase. He's
spent time in British football so wouldn't need much time to adapt, were he
to move back."
Does Dembele want to move?
"Dembele would be open to a move to the Premier League, if not now then at
the end of the season.
"He, like everybody else at Lyon, will be disappointed with the way things
have gone this season, particularly with the loss of Memphis Depay and Jeff
Reine-Adelaide, two of their best attacking players, to season-ending
injuries.
"That has made the outlook for the rest of the campaign quite bleak, so I do
think Dembele would welcome a move."
Can Lyon be convinced to sell?
"Jean-Michel Aulas is known as being quite a tough negotiator, he always
looks to strike the best deals for the club. With Lyon putting out a
statement on Thursday saying Dembele was not for sale, it doesn't look good
for any club trying to prise him away.
"Aulas has basically said it's almost impossible that Dembele goes and if he
does go it will be for such a massively over-inflated price that it would
give Lyon the means to recruit some players of a similar calibre to the ones
they've lost in Depay, Reine-Adelaide and, then, Dembele.
"It's unlikely to happen this month because it would be such a crushing blow
to lose three major attacking talents within the space of a month to six
weeks.
"Aulas is a smart businessman and he knows that if Dembele was to go now it
would make the job for coach Rudi Garcia that more difficult."
Right player, wrong time?
"I fear that even if Dembele is the right guy for Chelsea, it's a case of
the wrong timing because Lyon cannot afford to let go of any more of their
attacking talent.
"At this moment in time, Dembele is far too important to Lyon for them to be
negotiating his possible departure at such a crucial period and I imagine he
would appreciate Lyon cannot afford to let him go."
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