Southampton are not pursuing a deal for Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

Ralph Hasenhuttl is looking to strengthen his striker department following the departures of Shane Long and Armando Broja, and the ex-Fulham and Celtic star has emerged as a potential option.

What's the latest news involving Dembele?

According to The Sun, Southampton are plotting a cut-price deal for the ex-France Under-21 international, who recently entered the final 12 months of his contract at the Groupama Stadium.

GiveMeSport The Verdict

The report claims that Dembele, who scored an impressive 22 goals in all competitions for Lyon last season, 21 of which came in Ligue 1, could be available for just £10m, which is just more than half what they paid back in 2018.

Dembele is a proven goalscorer across Europe, finding the net 137 times across spells with Fulham, Celtic and Lyon, although he's made just a handful of appearances in the Premier League for the Cottagers.

Regardless, Crook doesn't believe the frontman is an option for Hasenhuttl's side at this current moment.

What did Crook say about Dembele?

When asked whether Southampton could end up signing the frontman, he told GIVEMESPORT: "No, I'm told that he isn't an option at this stage."

Why do Southampton need a striker?

It's simple, Saints didn't score enough goals last season, with only the bottom three, Wolves, Leeds and Brighton finding the net fewer than their 43.

In truth, Southampton haven't been prolific enough in recent years, In Hasenhuttl's four seasons at the club, they've only struck more than 50 times on one occasion, highlighting where some of their problems lie.

Furthermore, since the campaign finished, Southampton have lost Broja, who scored nine goals during his loan spell on the South Coast.

Saints were hoping to convince the Albanian to return to St Mary's, but he's currently being linked with Everton and West Ham, with Chelsea yet to decide where his future lies.

As a result, with less than four weeks until the start of the new campaign, Hasenhuttl desperately needs to add a striker to his ranks.