Man Utd Remain ‘Firmly’ In The Race To Sign £85M Rated Midfielder After Latest Transfer Twist

Man Utd are still in contention to buy Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to reports.

TEAMtalk claim that the Red Devils are still “firmly” in the equation to snap up the teenager following a decision by rivals Manchester City.

Enzo Maresca’s side were deemed favourites to secure Bouaddi’s services, having signalled to Lille that they were willing to loan him back to the Ligue One side.

However, it is believed that Director of Football Hugo Viana has now made it clear that City want the player now, which has blown the race for his signature wide open once again.

5 Premier League clubs want Bouaddi

The 18-year-old is certainly not short of suitors. In addition to United and City, the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have also signalled their interest in the player.

Out of the five, TEAMtalk report that Chelsea are the ones who would be most willing to loan Bouaddi back to Lille, which would be his club’s preferred choice.

Yet, the Blues are the only ones without Champions League football, and their prospects of winning the Premier League title in the immediate future look slim.

Man Utd would have to pay a sizeable sum

For a deal to happen this summer, Lille are said to be holding out for a fee in the region of €100m (£85m). Considering that the deals for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans were relatively cheap compared to other targets, there is likely to be still room in United’s transfer budget for a significant investment.

Of course, while money may not be an issue, getting the player on board is still a major challenge. Despite City’s change in stance, top sources still regard them as the leading candidates to sign Bouaddi. It remains to be seen if United can change that.

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