While some sides in the Premier League are struggling to do any business whatsoever at the moment, Manchester United seem to be on a roll.
Joshua Zirkzee’s £37m signing was revealed just over a week ago, and last Thursday, it was announced that the club had splashed out in excess of £52m to land the incredibly exciting young centre-back Leny Yoro.
Not content with those impressive signings, recent reports suggest the Red Devils are now charging full steam ahead to secure the services of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte.
However, separate reports suggest that the club may now have identified a better option than the Uruguayan and a player who could be the ideal partner for club captain Bruno Fernandes.
Manchester United transfer news
According to a recent report from Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth, United are now “looking at” AS Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana.
Sheth goes on to explain that with PSG wanting up to €70m, which is about £59m, for Ugarte and Monaco only looking for £30m for Fofana due to his contract expiring next summer, a move for the latter “might be a better deal financially for United.”
Moreover, the Frenchman earns just £10k-per-week at Les Monégasques, whereas the Uruguayan makes about £100k-per-week in Paris, which would likely influence their salary demands at Old Trafford.
That said, with how well the Monaco ace has played in recent seasons, signing him would be a great a footballing decision, regardless of the finances involved, and he could prove to be an excellent teammate for Fernandes.
Why Fofana would be a great signing for United and Fernandes
There are many reasons why Fofana would be an excellent signing for United this summer, but there are a couple of main ones, and they tie into why he’d be so great alongside Fernandes.
The first is that the 25-year-old is proficient in both a central midfield role and as an out-and-out six. For example, over his career, he has made 108 starts in the middle of the park and 81 just ahead of the backline, but last season in particular, he was used more as a defensive midfielder – 20 starts – than as an eight – 14 starts.
This flexibility and ability to play where he’s needed in midfield would allow the Portuguese star to focus his energy on happenings at the sharp end of the pitch and doing what he does best: producing goals and assists.
Moreover, he’d be the perfect player to clean up counter-attacks and loose balls from his teammates’ attacking moves, as according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the 6 foot 1 “monster”, as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, sits in the top 4% of midfielders for ball recoveries per 90.
However, the “magnificent” ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, can also lend a hand in attacking phases of play if needed.
|
Fofana in 23/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Competition |
Ligue 1 |
Coupe de France |
|
Appearances |
32 |
3 |
|
Goals |
4 |
0 |
|
Assists |
4 |
0 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.25 |
0.00 |
For example, in 32 Ligue 1 appearances last season, he scored four goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every four games.
Lastly, with 21 senior caps for France, including six at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the Paris-born star would bring an immense level of experience to the Theatre of Dreams, which can only be a good thing and potentially allow him to serve as an example to the plethora of exciting young talents now in and around the team.
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Manchester United would be a terrifying prospect going forward if this deal happens.
Ultimately, considering his impressive performances for Monaco in recent seasons and his experience with France, signing Fofana for £30m seems like a no-brainer, especially as starting him behind Fernandes could free him up to focus more on his attacking output.
