Everton ‘make offer’ for 70-goal striker chased by Man Utd, Aston Villa with Dyche summer priority clear

Everton have reportedly made an offer to Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, who has received interest from Aston Villa and Manchester United.

The 26-year-old’s contract at the French club expires at the end of the campaign, meaning he will be available on a free transfer this summer.

Everton are clearly in need of a new centre-forward at the moment, so Dembele could potentially be exactly what Sean Dyche needs to guide his team back up the Premier League table

Indeed, the Toffees are having another dismal season, currently sitting in 15th place in the Premier League table, outside the relegation zone by just one point as it stands.

Scoring goals has arguably been Everton’s biggest problem, with their number nine Dominic Calvert-Lewin enduring another injury-plagued campaign, while summer signing Neal Maupay has netted just once in 22 appearances overall.

In fact, the Merseyside club have scored the joint-least of any Premier League team, so it’s no surprise to see Dyche looking for a new striker.

In recent days, Everton have been linked with Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos, but Crystal Palace are currently thought to be the favourites to sign him.

However, it seems the Blues are chasing one of his former rivals – Dembele – who spent two successful years at Celtic.

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Everton offer Dembele four-year deal

This is according to French outlet Jeanes Footeux, who claim that Dembele is of ‘particular interest’ to Everton, who look set to reignite their interest after failing to sign him in January.

The report adds that the Toffees have offered the striker a four-year deal worth €5m per year (approx. £4.4m), with Dembele yet to decide on his new club.

Since joining Lyon in 2021, Dembele has scored an impressive 70 goals in 170 appearances across all competitions, as well as contributing 19 assists, giving him an impressive average of 0.52 goal contributions per game.

With that in mind, the striker could certainly make a huge difference to Everton if they can get a deal over the line.

However, as mentioned, both Manchester United and Aston Villa have also registered an interest in the Frenchman, so Everton could face competition this summer.

Additionally, they currently find themselves in the midst of an independent investigation into alleged breaches of the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play regulations.

Two of the potential punishments, if found guilty, could see Everton handed a transfer ban or a wage cap, which would make signing Dembele impossible.

Also, if the unthinkable happens and Everton are relegated to the Championship, then it seems unlikely that the Lyon forward would want to join a second-tier side.

As a result, Dembele is unlikely to make a decision on their contract offer any time soon, with any potential agreement likely to hinge on their Premier League status.

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