Aston Villa have now approached Lyon over a potential move for striker Moussa Dembele, The Daily Mail report.

The Lowdown: Attacking options

Unai Emery appears to be on the hunt for a new striker at Villa Park after Danny Ings was sold to West Ham. The club have already reached an agreement to sign teenager Jhon Duran, however, Villa now have just Ollie Watkins and Duran as centre-forward options.

There has been some speculation surrounding a deal for Dembele, and it looks as if NSWE and sporting director Johan Lange have made their first move over a possible transfer.

The Latest: Dembele enquiry

The Daily Mail shared a story on Thursday regarding Villa and Dembele. They claimed that Emery has tracked the forward for some time and is an admirer, with Villa making an enquiry to Lyon.

The 26-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, with a possible January transfer fee of around £3m mooted in the report.

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The Verdict: Smart move?

Dembele is valued at €18m by Transfermarkt, so a £3m swoop in the coming days could be a shrewd piece of business. The French forward has plenty of experience in a variety of divisions, scoring 139 club goals for Fulham, Celtic and Lyon – 21 of which came in Ligue 1 last season.

That was his best-ever league return in front of goal during his career, and you could also say that he still has plenty of high-level years left in the tank at the age of 26.

Villa have also struggled for goals this season, with Leeds and Leicester City, in 14th and v, scoring more than the club's tally of 22, so a swoop for Dembele may well be a smart one by Emery and Villa.