According to a recent report by Sky Sports, Frank Lampard’s Chelsea side are suggested to be leading the race for the services of Lille’s U21 French international midfielder Boubakary Soumare, with fellow Premier League rivals Manchester United also said to be in the mix. The promising youngster was previously being tracked by the likes of Arsenal, Real Madrid and Valencia, but the race for his signature is now claimed to be limited to the two aforementioned English giants.
The report suggests that the youngster would prefer a move to West London rather than to Old Trafford. Chelsea are already said to have conducted initial talks with the club and player’s agent. Still, the report has confirmed that nothing will be made official before Lille play Paris Saint-Germain on the 26th of January. Also, the fact that Soumare has two and a half years left on his contract means that he’ll be in no rush to seek a move away from France either.
What Would Boubakary Soumare Add To Chelsea?
Often likened to Paul Pogba because of his stature as well as playing style, the Frenchman is one of the many highly-rated youngsters at Lille and has been in Chelsea’s radar for a while now. Despite being an excellent forward passer of the ball, his most meaningful contributions do come in the defensive phase. The youngster works extremely hard while tracking back and can be a nagging man-marker as well.
The 20-year-old has all the good qualities of Paul Pogba in him, as can be seen from the slaloming runs that he tends to go on from the middle of the park. Beyond comfortable with the ball at his feet, the youngster has the quality to play first-touch football and could slot right into Frank Lampard’s energetic Chelsea setup. With that said, though, his ball-winning and recovery attributes are everything that Lampard looks for in a player.
Why Chelsea Must Sign Soumare Ahead Of Manchester United
As good as N’Golo Kante is at the heart of the Chelsea midfield, it wouldn’t be overly far-fetched to say that the Frenchman hasn’t been at his best so far this season. Also, as was previously reported, Real Madrid’s interest in the World Cup winner’s signature cannot be underplayed by Lampard. Losing a player of Kante’s importance could have lasting effects on any team as well.
Soumare does look like one for the future, and passing up on one of the highest-rated young midfielders in world football is the kind of thing that clubs come to regret in the future. With that in mind, though, one must consider the Tiemoue Bakayoko situation as well. There’s no denying the youngster’s impeccable footballing quality, but whether or not he’s able to replicate that same form in the Premier League, is a whole new question altogether.
