Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked with a Ligue 1 ace that could end Julen Lopetegui’s side's woes in front of goal.
The Spaniard is presented with the task of improving his squad on a tight budget this summer, following the reveal of the club's Financial Fair Play (FFP) worries.
With the latest player linked to Molineux, Wolves could strike a deal that would be kind to their finances and pose a significant improvement to their squad.
What’s the latest on Moussa Dembele to Wolves?
As reported by Express and Star yesterday, Wolves are interested in signing Olympique Lyonnais striker Moussa Dembele.
The report claims that the Midlands club are ‘monitoring’ the 26-year-old, who is set to become a free agent this summer.
It’s mentioned that the Old Gold will face ‘considerable competition’ for the Frenchman’s signature, with unnamed clubs across Europe also interested.
What could Moussa Dembele offer to Wolves?
In 129 Ligue 1 appearances for Lyon, Dembele has registered an impressive 67 goal contributions in scoring 56 times and contributing to 11 assists in five seasons for the club.
Lauded as “clinical” by scout Antonio Mango, the Frenchman could be an integral signing for Wolves, who ended the campaign as the Premier League’s lowest-scoring side with just 31 goals in 38 games.
The Pontoise-born talisman was snatched by the Ligue 1 side after a formidable spell in Scotland in which he led the line at Celtic, quickly cementing himself as a fan favourite.
In three seasons with the Glasgow giants, Dembele found the net 51 times in 94 appearances, showing his clinical nature in the final third and innate ability to lead the line.
Wolves aren’t short of creators with the likes of Pedro Neto and Matheus Nunes in the squad, so in having a striker as competent as the Lyon ace, Lopetegui could get the best out of his attack to turn fortunes around at Molineux after a dreary season.
In a campaign that lacked sufficient game time for the 26-year-old, the forward lost his place to former Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, who scored 27 goals this term which subsequently forced Dembele out of favour.
The former Celtic man’s misfortune could be Wolves’ treasure, with him displaying signs that he could rejuvenate Lopetegui’s side in the final third, as highlighted by his statistics in the season prior in Ligue 1.
As per FBref, the 2021/22 campaign proved to be a strong one for the 26-year-old, who ranked in the top 4% of forwards in the league in terms of non-penalty goals, recording an average of 0.65 per 90.
Another impressive area that the forward excelled in was his activity in the box, averaging 6.08 touches in the penalty box per 90, significantly more than Wolves’ current strike option Raul Jimenez who registered 4.68 per 90 in the Premier League this term.
Wolves could land themselves an established talisman on a free transfer here, which may well prove to be a deal that could turn the club around.