Manchester United are interested in signing AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile, according to a report by L’Equipe (via Sport Witness).
It is claimed the Red Devils have been keeping tabs on the defender for several years and could be prepared to make a move for the 18-year-old this summer as they position themselves for a bid.
L’Equipe have suggested Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could have to pay a transfer fee of around €35million (£31.4m) to sign him, however, the likes of Valencia and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also believed to be sniffing around.
According to France Football (via Sport Witness) earlier this month, Badiashile is also thought to have attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur as well.
Badiashile is certainly the type of player that Solskjaer has been looking to bring to Manchester United this summer as the manager is keen to inject youth into the first-team – evident with the additions of Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka already.
Although the teenager has only played 36 matches in his short career to date (Transfermarkt), the Monaco enforcer has already shown plenty of promise at the back.
Data collected by WhoScored show that in his 20 top-flight appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit, he made an average of 1.3 tackles and 1.1 interceptions and made an average of 3.9 clearances per game as well – stats that are better than the more established Victor Lindelof, who was ranked the highest centre-back for the Red Devils last season.
Defence clearly appears to be a priority (having conceded 54 last season in the Premier League) with rumours surrounding big-money moves for West Ham United’s Issa Diop and Leicester City’s Harry Maguire, however, £31.4m might be excellent value for money regarding the up-and-coming Badiashile.
Man Utd fans, do you think Badiashile is a signing worth pursuing this summer? Let us know your thoughts by joining in with the discussion below!
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