Manchester City are keeping tabs on Lille youngster Boubakary Soumaré. According to a recent report, the Premier League leaders are looking to ramp up their interest in the 18-year-old French starlet who has been dubbed as ‘The New Pogba’. The teenager has just made 8 first-team appearances for the French club with growing interest in his talents. It is understood that the Blues of Manchester has also sent a scout to watch the youngster in action last week.
The youngster graduated from the Paris Saint-Germain Academy but has still not established himself as a first-team regular at Lille this season. However, his eye-catching cameos have impressed the Citizens enough for them to step up their pursuit of the teenage midfielder. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is keen to wait and see how he develops before they make a move for him in the near future. Although, they could be forced to make an offer this month if their rivals join in on the hunt for the Frenchman’s signature.
Soumare has only made three senior starts in this campaign for the Ligue 1 side with City already impressed by his displays so far but they are unwilling to match Lille’s £25m asking price for the 18-year-old midfielder.
Manchester City are currently leading the Premier League by 12 points and are in cruise control to secure another title in the top tier of English football. They have also progressed into the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League and made it through to the fourth-round of the FA Cup. Pep Guardiola is currently preparing his side for the Carabao Cup second leg tie away at Bristol City. It is clear that the Spanish manager is building for the future with Manchester City’s state of the art academy becoming a major drive for promising young players to thrive under.
The emergence of Phil Foden, Brahim Diaz, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Tosin Adarabioyo in Pep Guardiola’s first-team this season is a clear indication that the Spanish manager is willing to give a chance to his youngsters if they are good enough.
It will undoubtedly be a major coup for City if they are successful in their attempts to land one of the most promising teenagers in European football. The youngster has represented his nation at every youth level from Under 16 onwards but is yet to score an international goal so far. Only time will tell what lies ahead in the future of the Lille starlet and if the Citizens of Manchester are able to acquire his signature in the near future.
