Chelsea in transfer fight with Man Utd over £71m-rated Moussa Dembele if their ban is lifted
CHELSEA are reportedly set to rival Manchester United for the signature of Lyon striker Moussa Dembele.
The Blues are currently in the middle of a two-window transfer ban.
But Frank Lampard’s side will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and have been set a hearing date of November 20.
If successful, Chelsea would be able to sign players again in January.
And according to the Daily Mail, ex Celtic hitman Moussa Dembele is on their radar.
Manchester United are also keen on the red-hot goalscorer and want to sign him in January.
But Lyon are desperate to hold on to their top scorer until at least the end of the season.
This could favour Chelsea, even if their ban is upheld.
Dembele was unhappy under former boss Sylvinho, but is more likely to stay until the end of the season now that Rudi Garcia has arrived at the Groupama Stadium.
Chelsea have a red-hot striker of their own, with academy graduate Tammy Abraham having already banged in nine goals in 11 Premier League games this season.
But club chiefs know that Olivier Giroud will almost certainly leave at the end of the campaign – and that he could well be joined out the door by Michy Batshuayi.
This would leave Abraham as their only striking option.
MORE CHELSEA NEWS
Dembele has scored eight goals in 11 Ligue 1 appearances this season.
And the French Under-21 international would cost around £71million to prise away from Lyon – more than club president Jean-Michel Aulas demanded for Alexandre Lacazette from Arsenal in 2017.
This fee would fall just short of their record transfer, when they signed Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 to replace Real Madrid-bound Thibaut Courtois.