Foot Mercato has recently claimed that Manchester United are locked in a three-way battle for LOSC Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare in this off-season. The Red Devils could face stiff competition from Arsenal and AC Milan in pursuit of the French youngster during this summer transfer period (via Foot Mercato).
Soumare’s Growing Reputation At Northern France
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise at Lille since joining on a free transfer after being released by Paris Saint-Germain back in 2017. He has managed to establish himself amongst Christophe Galtier’s top performers but is yet to win any major trophies with the French club.
Soumare has gone on to make a total of 70 appearances for the side from Northern France, scoring one goal and providing one assist in all competitions. The Noisy-le-Sec born talent has not only proven his worth in the Ligue 1 but also in the UEFA Champions League where he averaged 1.0 tackles, 2.0 interceptions, 1.5 clearances, 1.0 key passes and 3.0 dribbles per game last season. He has managed to complete 86.1% of his attempted passes in European football which showcases how careful he can be when distributing the ball from midfield (stats via whoscored).
Soumare has the strength, power and energy to become a world-class player in his position someday. However, he needs to work on adding more goals and assists to his game so that he can be a two-way midfielder who will be able to impact the game at both ends of the field.
What Will The French Starlet Add To Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Side?
Soumare has got remarkable upper-body strength and can be a dominant presence in the air as he can use his power to get the better off the opposition in the 50-50 midfield duels. He has made a habit of winning possession back for his team and can even read the danger quickly to pull off some essential clearances at the back. He can also make some powerful runs in the opposition half after completing three dribbles per 90 minutes in Europe last season.
Getting someone as talented as Soumare will be a decent coup for the Red Devils because he will improve their squad depth significantly in the upcoming Premier League campaign. He possesses all the skillset needed to succeed in England and would be an ideal long-term replacement for Nemanja Matic at Old Trafford.
Soumare will also offer some serious competition for the likes of Paul Pogba, Fred, Scott McTominay and James Garner in the race to secure a regular spot in Solskjaer’s midfield in the coming seasons. Plus, the four-time French U-21 international would help Man United close the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City in the upper echelons of English football. At 21, the future is very bright for Soumare but whether he can adjust to life in England quickly if he makes a switch to the Theatre of Dreams, remains to be seen.
