As per Aston Villa reporter John Townley, Moussa Dembele, the forward from Lyon, is a potential acquisition for the team, without any fee involved.
Has Villa been linked to Dembele and what has Townley revealed?
Though Unai Emery is leading the club’s charge towards European football in the Premier League, preparations for his first full season in charge are already underway. According to reports, NSWE will provide a strong budget for Emery in the upcoming summer, with the possibility of the club breaking its transfer record.
Despite budgetary availability, Aston Villa may explore the free-agent pool. In January, Dembele was linked to a move to the Midlands, and talks about his potential move to Villa Park have surfaced once again with his contract set to expire in the summer.
Townley published a piece for Birmingham Live, which scrutinizes ten free agents that Aston Villa might pursue this summer, with Dembele included as one of the targets. Townley has revealed that Villa expressed interest in the 26-year-old during the New Year, and the French striker is in search of a new challenge.
Can Dembele be an ideal competition for Watkins?
Emery is supposedly canceling the signing of a new fellow striker after Ollie Watkins’ fantastic form this season. However, it would be rewarding to have another alternative for Watkins. Currently, the only competition to Watkins is Jhon Duran.
Cameron Archer has been touted to be the next big thing after his successful loan spell with Middlesbrough, having contributed to 15 Championship goals in 17 appearances. However, signing someone like Dembele for free would be a prudent move.
The Lyon man scored an impressive 21 goals in Ligue 1 last season which is a career-high. He has scored a total of 140 goals for his current team, Celtic, and former team, Fulham.
At the age of 26, Dembele can offer a lot at the highest level. A move to the Premier League could interest the striker who had made only two appearances before moving to Celtic. Who knows, Aston Villa may even offer European football.
