Report: Manchester United joins Chelsea in Moussa Dembele chase
Chelsea has been a long-running competitor for Moussa Dembele's signature, but now Manchester United is belatedly joining the race.
The youngster's performances for Celtic this term have drawn widespread praise, prompting United to cast admiring glances in the direction of the £30-million rated forward, according to The Independent's Miguel Delaney.
The interest from Old Trafford comes after Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann was apparently "deprioritised" as a transfer target due to the difficulty anticipated in trying to broker a deal. This is despite reports at the start of February claiming that Griezmann was keen on a United move after already conducting contract discussions with the club's hierarchy.
Dembele, 20, wouldn't necessarily fulfill the quota of a marquee name due to his relatively humble professional representation at Fulham and Celtic so far, but the Paris Saint-Germain product has shown he's a devastating finisher through 32 goals in 45 outings for Celtic.
His exploits first prompted stories that Chelsea wanted to capture him, with one particular account predicting an £100-million summer splurge on Dembele, Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata, and Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk. It's now understood that Chelsea and United may not be alone in pursuing the forward when the transfer window swings open.
Dembele was shut out by Old Firm rival Rangers last Sunday, ending a run of 12 goals over his previous six outings.