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Official: Dembele signs for Atletico Madrid on loan deal

Manchester City v Lyon - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final
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Atletico Madrid have completed a loan deal with Olympique Lyonnais to secure the services of French striker Moussa Dembele.

The Colchoneros have finally found Diego Costa’s replacement. The rumors turned out to be accurate, which means Moussa Dembele is officially one of Atleti’s men. The 24-year-old is having a tough time at the French side this season and was allowed to join Simeone’s squad.

Although he is only 24-years-old, Dembele has been playing at a senior level since 2014. In fact, the French striker hasn’t had a bad season in five years, as he has never failed to score less than 15 goals each year. However, this season has been quite different for the player. Dembele has only scored one goal in 16 league appearances for Lyon.

Despite his 45 goals for the club, the French leaders have decided that it was best if Dembele tried to find his form in another team. That is where Atletico Madrid enters. The Colchoneros have been looking for a striker ever since Diego Costa suddenly parted ways with them.

Although many options were considered, the chosen one was Moussa Dembele. The French player joins Atleti on a loan with a fee of €1.5 million and a purchase clause of €33.5 million, plus add-ons. The striker will now fight for a place in Simeone’s squad facing the fierce competition of  Joao Felix, Luis Suarez, and Angel Correa.

Lyon have chosen a replacement to fill in the gap.

Olympique Lyonnais have picked Leicester’s Islam Slimani to replace Dembele in their ranks. The 32-year-old joined the Foxes back in 2016 after scoring 31 goals in one season for Sporting. However, the Algerian international failed to impress in the Premier League and was soon loaned out. Nevertheless, his spell at Monaco last season was enough to convince Lyon that Slimani can be a good addition for the Ligue 1 leaders. Slimani arrived on a free transfer and signed a contract till 2022.

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