Atlético Madrid sign Dembélé on loan, FosuMensah joins Bayer Leverkusen
Atlético Madrid have confirmed the signing of the Lyon forward Moussa Dembélé on an initial loan deal.
The La Liga leaders will pay a €1.5m (£1.35m) fee to loan Dembélé for the rest of the season, with an option to make the move permanent in the summer. Lyon have announced that the agreed fee is €33.5m (£29.9m) with a further €5m (£4.45m) in add-ons.
“With Dembélé’s arrival, we add a young yet experienced footballer who’s strong both physically and as a finisher,” an Atlético Madrid statement said. “His height also makes him a threat in the air and his speed allows him to run past the opposition’s defenders.”
The French forward scored 45 goals all competitions for Lyon after in leaving Celtic in September 2018, including a memorable double against Manchester City in the 2019-20 Champions League quarter-finals. He arrives as a replacement for Diego Costa, who left Atlético earlier this month.
Lyon, who sit top of Ligue 1 at the halfway stage, moved quickly to reinforce their attacking ranks by signing Leicester City forward Islam Slimani. The Algeria international has signed an 18-month contract after joining on a free transfer. Slimani joined Leicester in September 2016 for a then club-record £28m fee but never settled in the Premier League, going out on loan three times before departing with six months left on his contract.“I’m very happy and proud to join a big club like Lyon,” Slimani said. “I’ve joined a team that’s top of the league, playing well and scoring goals. I want to help the club achieve its objectives.”
Elsewhere, Manchester United utility player Timothy Fosu-Mensah has left Old Trafford in a cut-price £1.5m move to Bayer Leverkusen. The Dutch international, who can play at rightback, centre-back or in midfield, had six months remaining on his contract having joined the club from Ajax as a 16-year-old.
“Forever in my heart … the staff, the players, the fans! Thank you for everything @ManUtd #mufc #ggmu”,” FosuMensah tweeted after the move was confirmed.