CHELSEA have been dealt a blow after having a £34million bid for Lyon striker Moussa Dembele rejected, according to reports.
The Blues were reported to have made a cash offer including Olivier Giroud in the deal for the 23-year-old Ligue 1 forward.
Lyon have batted away Chelsea’s £34m offer for DembeleCredit: AFP or licensors
But FootMercato claim Lyon – who sit 12th in the French top flight – have absolutely no intention of selling.
And a sternly-worded statement on the club’s official website read: “Olympique Lyonnais has taken note of certain information relayed by the media suggesting that Moussa Dembele could interest other clubs during this transfer window.
“OL would like to reaffirm its wish, as in the summer of 2019, to keep Moussa Dembele.
“The club has full confidence in Moussa and counts in particular on him to build a successful team for the seasons to come.”
Chelsea’s £34m bid was reportedly “swept away” and “hardly moved” transfer chiefs at Lyon.
And injuries to Memphis Depay and Jeff Reine-Adelaide have strengthened the club’s resolve to hold onto their main man.
But the report add further down that Frank Lampard is expected to come back “quickly” with another offer.
Lamps is said to like the similarities between Frenchman Dembele and his former team-mate Didier Drogba.
Drogba, a prolific finisher and notoriously strong striker, was signed in 2004 for £24m from Marseille and went on to score 164 times in his nine years at Stamford Bridge.
Dembele has notched 10 goals in 18 Ligue 1 matches this season but failed to score in the Champions League.
The former Fulham and Celtic forward twice scored against Arsenal in the summer as Lyon won the Emirates cup, and has also attracted transfer attention from the Gunners.
Dembele left Celtic for France 18 months ago for £20m.
Chelsea No9 Tammy Abraham has notched 12 league goals and three assists in 20 games this season, but has stalled on agreeing a new Stamford Bridge deal.
Lampard’s search for further striking options has also taken him to RB Leipzig star Timo Werner.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
