MANCHESTER UNITED boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is lining up a summer move for former Celtic striker Moussa Dembele.
The Old Trafford chief wants to boost his options after losing both Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford to injuries at stages this season.
The Lyon hitman has scored 18 goals in 37 games this campaign and would “find it hard to turn down” a switch to Manchester, sources close to the player told the Manchester Evening News.
Twenty-three-year-old ex-Fulham striker Dembele has interested Spurs and Chelsea in the past.
But United are ready to move quickly to snap up the Frenchman with Ligue 1 struggling due to the coronavirus.
Old Trafford chiefs have said before that their healthy financial state could give them the edge in bringing in players quickly and cheaply.
The decision to end the French season this week, with Lyon in seventh, means Dembele is unlikely to play again until September.
But if the Premier League re-starts in June he could spearhead United and give boss Solskjaer options ahead of what will be a franctic finish to the campaign with up to three games a week.
The Norwegian brought in Odion Igbalo in January to increase his forward options but the chance to get Dembele cheaply appeals to Old Trafford bean counters.
United are desperate for another striker and have been linked with Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland.
Dembele scored 26 goals in 38 league starts for Celtic.
His 17 goals in 36 games for Fulham in the Championship earned him a move to Parkhead.
