Manchester United are likely to target a prolific striker this summer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to accelerate his rebuild.
Odion Ighalo was enjoying a fruitful loan spell at his boyhood club before the COVID-19 postponement, but is not the player that Solskjaer will consider building his team around.
United have yet to replace the natural goalscoring instincts of Romelu Lukaku who departed for Inter Milan, but there are a number of options that should be considered.
As reported by the Evening Standard, Harry Kane, Timo Werner, Raul Jimenez and Moussa Dembele are each being monitored over a potential transfer.
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Tottenham could be willing to sell their star man Kane this summer given Jose Mourinho’s immediate requirement to bolster an ageing squad.
But signing the complete striker, who is on course to become one of the leading Premier League goalscorers of all time, would be such a complex and frustrating process that would likely take up the whole summer in transfer negotiations.
As noted by Football London, there is no way Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy would let Kane go to a direct rival for anything less than £150m.
While Kane is in his prime and is the proven deadly finisher that Solskjaer may be crying out for, the Norwegian would be wise to look elsewhere.
The £150m that would be demanded for Kane would significantly eat into, if not take up all of United’s summer budget.
And Solskjaer needs to strengthen in a number of other positions including right-wing and in midfield that would provide more balance to his squad.
United could instead sign Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, who is valued at £45m by Transfermarkt.
Lyon may demand closer to £60m for such a key player, but this would still represent value for money for United.
The 23-year-old is at the perfect age for Solskjaer’s long-term rebuild and has all the attributes the club should be looking for in a centre-forward.
Dembele has scored 16 goals in 24 Ligue 1 starts for Lyon this term, following up the 15 goals he scored in his first season in France.
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He has experience in England from his time at Fulham and has developed into one of the most promising young strikers while on the continent.
Dembele is a natural goalscorer who would give United another option with his proficiency in the air, alongside his pace in behind the defence.
Signing the youngster would afford Solskjaer room in the budget to address other areas that need prioritising, such as right-wing.
Realistically, United could sign Borussia Dortmund sensation Jadon Sanho and Dembele for the same price as Harry Kane.
As reported by Sky Sports, Solskjaer has already sent scouts to watch the Frenchman and we feel he would be a very astute signing that could lead the line for the Reds next season.
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