Lyon sporting director Juninho has confirmed that the Ligue 1 side are in talks with La Liga title contenders Atletico Madrid over a loan deal involving French striker Moussa Dembele.
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Dembele, 24, joined Lyon from Celtic in 2018 in a deal worth £19.8m, as per Transfermarkt.
Since arriving in France, Dembele has featured in 108 matches and has scored 45 goals, in all competitions.
However, after being strong linked with a move away from his French club for several transfer windows, Dembele finally looks set to get his wish.
One club who are in the market for a striker is La Liga title favourites Atletico Madrid.
Having lost Diego Costa only a week ago after the Spaniard agreed to terminate his contract due to personal reasons, Atletico Madrid will be desperaltley seeking a replacement as they head into the season’s second-half.
According to Lyon sporting director Juninho, who spoke after his side’s recent 2-2 draw with Rennes, the club are in talks with Atletico Madrid over a loan move for Dembele.
“Moussa Dembele came to see me,” Juninho said, as quoted by L’Equipe. “He told me that he believes it’s the right time to change clubs.”
“He has lost a bit of motivation. We are in negotiations with Atletico.
“Nothing has been done yet but the player has already agreed terms with Atletico Madrid. It wouldn’t be right to stop a player from leaving when he doesn’t want to experience the next five months with us intensely.”
Lyon’s 24-year-old is currently sidelined due to a fractured arm, however, with his recovery going well, fans can expect to see him back in action soon.
It has also been claimed (via ESPN) that Atletico Madrid are hopeful they can secure Dembele on loan with an option to buy, however, Lyon would prefer the purchase option to be mandatory.