Despite spending close to £200 million last summer, recent reports suggest Manchester United are not about to stop investing in the team. Jose Mourinho has a playing style and it appears a good number of the players he currently has at Manchester United do not suit him. The Portuguese manager reportedly wants his “own” types of players at Manchester United and will aim to achieve that this summer.
One of the players who has been linked with the Red Devils is AS Monaco star Tiemoue Bakayoko. The Frenchman has been one of the best players for the surprise French Ligue 1 leaders this summer.
According to a report by the Manchester Evening News, Bakayoko will consider a move to Manchester United this summer, but only if they qualify for next season’s Champions League. The Champions League appears to be a key consideration point for most European players these days and Bakayoko is not alone.
Chelsea have also been linked with the player and I believe more clubs will enter the race for his signature as the transfer window gets closer.
Do Manchester United need Bakayoko?
In my opinion they do, and I think a good number of their fans will agree with me. Tiemoue Bakayoko bullied Manchester City in the Champions League recently. He even scored the winning goal for Monaco in that tie. He has been a sensation for Monaco this season so far.
There is no doubt that Manchester United have many central midfielders at the club but bar Paul Pogba (who could play alongside Bakayoko), there is no single central midfielder at the club as good as Bakayoko. Ander Herrera in my opinion is OK, but he has the habit of being dominated in big games and is not defensive enough.
Will Monaco sell?
Aside from Paris Saint-Germain, there is no one French club who English clubs can’t bully with cash into selling their players. It is an unfortunate situation for the French clubs but Premier League clubs are loaded with cash and I am sure they will spend it in a big way again this summer. Whether Monaco will sell Bakayoko is dependent on how much is on offer. It is a fact, a good number of their players will leave the club this summer. The big guns will cherry pick their players for sure.
Whether United will be among the lucky clubs to sign one of Monaco’s star players depends on how fast Manchester United move. Chelsea are likely to want a few of their players as well as the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid. But Monaco are obviously not going to be selling all of their players, maybe only 3-4. This means if United really want Bakayoko, they need to move fast before Monaco puts a stop to selling.
