Lyon striker Moussa Dembele will "definitely leave" the Ligue 1 side at the end of the season amid Everton links according to a report.
The Blues were heavily linked with the former Celtic goal-getter during the January transfer window as they made a late scramble to bolster their forward ranks. Ultimately, their efforts to sign a striker were in vain as they saw speculated approaches for Viktor Gyokeres, the aforementioned Frenchman, Beto and others rebuffed.
Sean Dyche, who arrived on the eve of the winter deadline, has had his hands tied in terms of selection options for the remainder of the season. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been sidelined with ongoing injury troubles leaving Neal Maupay and Ellis Simms - the latter opening his account in Saturday's draw with Chelsea.
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According to Sky Sports Deutschland reporter Florian Plettenberg, the 26-year-old will not extend with the France giants at the end of the season thus becoming available on a free transfer.
In a tweet, he said: "News Moussa #Dembele: Understand he will definitely leave Lyon in summer. No contract extension. The striker has a market in [England, Germany and Italy]. The Bundesliga is very interesting for the 26 y/o striker! Salary now: Around €3m gross/year. Free agent to watch!"
In a report from Football Insider in January, they claimed that the Blues failed in a bid to sign Dembele due to the financial restraints they faced. They claimed that the French outlet did not want to let him leave on loan and the forward was happy to run his contract down to see what offers were available.
And in recent weeks, the forward has struggled for form which had led to criticism from fractions of the Lyon fans. However, manager Laurent Blanc has insisted that he still trusts the player.
He said: "Things are not easy, especially in the offensive field which is sometimes very surprising. For a while, he didn't score in clear situations. But we must not just let go, and it's our job to improve him."
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