In a recent print edition, L’Equipe has stated that Manchester United are willing to launch a €25m move for AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile during this ongoing transfer window. It is believed that the coming days will be decisive as the Red Devils and Bayer 04 Leverkusen are ‘willing to put down €25m’ to land the player before the transfer deadline next month (transcripted and translated by Sport Witness).
Badiashile’s Incredible Rise In French Football
The Limoges-born prospect has made an excellent start to this campaign after scoring in back to back matches versus Stade Reims and FC Metz respectively. He caught the eye while playing for Monaco last season when he produced a string of dominant performances for them at the back.
Badiashile featured in 20 matches for the French club in the previous campaign across all competitions. The French starlet did well to average 0.5 tackles, 2.5 interceptions and 2.5 clearances per game in the 2019-20 Ligue 1 season. He excelled at distributing the ball out from the back as evident from his pass success rate of 90.2% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
The 19-year-old has showcased a lot of promise with his recent performances for Niko Kovac’s side. However, his head could turn if a club of Man United’s size and stature makes an attempt to land him this summer.
What Will The French Whizkid Bring To The Table?
Badiashile possesses remarkable upper-body strength that allows him to dominate the aerial battle with the opposition inside his penalty box. He is proficient at intercepting possession for his side and has also justified his worth by making some crucial clearances at the back. The 15-time French U-19 international has a knack for scoring goals, but one can argue whether he has got enough in his tank to be a success story in the Premier League where he will be tested against some of the best players in the world week in week out.
Is Badiashile The Right Fit For The Red Devils?
At 19, Badiashile has done well to make himself a regular feature of the Monaco backline. A switch to Old Trafford could potentially harm his first-team chances as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already got Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe vying for a spot in his starting XI. Badiashile ticks all the right boxes in terms of what is required to compete with them for a place in the Man United’s first-team next season but it won’t be easy as he is still quite inexperienced at the highest level.
However, the Red Devils can benefit from acquiring Badiashile’s services as he is currently one of the most promising young centre-backs in European football. The French teenager will add a lot of depth to Solskjaer’s squad, which might be enough for them to challenge for multiple silverware in the years to come. All in all, Badiashile will be a decent fit for Man United as they will be able to reap the benefits of signing him in the long-run.
