Crystal Palace and Dougie Freedman are hoping to beat Aston Villa to the signing of Lyon striker Moussa Dembele this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

Could Dembele leave Lyon?

The £52,000-a-week attacker has had a fairly quiet season for his current club, having been more of a key man in previous campaigns, with only three goals coming his way in Ligue 1. That's in a total of 23 appearances, although only eight of those have been from the starting lineup.

Dembele is out of contract once the current campaign reaches its conclusion, and given his lack of playing time at Lyon, it seems unlikely that an extension will be coming his way. That means that he would be allowed to leave on a free transfer, with a number of clubs potentially interested in signing club.

Palace are certainly going to be on the lookout for a new striker in the summer window, considering Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta have scored just six Premier League goals between them this season, and it could be that they turn to Dembele as a potential option.

moussa-dembele-lyon-premier-league

Are Palace in the hunt to sign Dembele?

According to Football Insider, Palace chiefs are "interested" in making a move for the Frenchman at the end of the season, with a new striker considered a "top priority" by them. Freedman and Steve Parish think he's the "perfect candidate" to come in and bolster the Eagles' attacking options, and they are believed to be "preparing a contract offer".

That being said, they face stiff competition from a Villa side flying high under Unai Emery currently, so it may not be easy to get their man, considering the Midlands club could promise Dembele European football next season.

The former Celtic striker could be a great addition if Palace get a deal over the line this season, possessing the kind of end product lacking in Edouard and Mateta's game, despite his slow season this time around.

He has scored 70 goals in 172 appearances for Lyon, which highlights what a good addition he has been overall, while at Celtic, he netted 51 times in 94 outings. He was once a bit of a wonderkid, hailed as "one of the top young talents in Europe" by Hoops teammate Leigh Griffiths, showing the talent that he has always possessed, and at 26 he still has plenty of years ahead of him to grow into that potential for Palace, leading the line and linking with the likes of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.