Manchester United have had a busy summer. Now, it looks like they're moving for a midfield dynamo compared to Paul Pogba.
The Red Devils re-signed Pogba in a statement signing back in 2016, four years after he left for Juventus for free. Despite breaking the world transfer record for the superstar, however, things didn't pan out as planned, with Pogba leaving under a cloud in 2022 – again, on a free transfer back to the Allianz Stadium.
But now, Manchester United want his heir. Erik ten Hag is keen to bolster his midfield and one French midfield talent is on the radar at Old Trafford.
According to journalist Luca Bianchin of La Gazzetta dello Sport, United are looking to beat Milan to the signing of Youssouf Fofana. The report has been relayed by Get Italian Football News.
United have been chasing Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain, but recent reports suggest that they can't agree on a price for the Uruguayan. Instead, the 20-time English champions have pivoted to a market opportunity who will be a free agent as of next summer.
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Fofana is highly regarded in French football, having risen through Monaco's famed academy and made a name for himself as an all-action defensive midfield presence. The player himself has claimed he's ready to take over from Pogba and N'Golo Kante in Les Bleus' national setup, while Football Fan Cast compared the starlet to Pogba last year, when he was first linked with United following Sir Jim Ratcliffe's takeover of the club.
In FourFourTwo's opinion, this would be a masterstroke of a move – although we're not sure that it's legitimate interest or a negotiating plot intended to move PSG into action. The French champions have all but completed a deal for Joao Neves – another United target – and will likely have to move Ugarte on after just a year in Ligue 1, so there's every chance the Red Devils are moving to another target in order to drive the price down.
If it isn't a plot, however, United fans should get excited about signing Fofana. There are few players in Europe with better statistics from midfield over the past year or two, with the value of this signing being a massive positive for a club who need to add quality in depth to their squad.
Fofana is valued at €30 million by Transfermarkt. His contract expires next summer.
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