Manchester United Transfer News: Adam Ounas Player Profile

Manchester United has been linked to Adam Ounas after the player sparked speculation on social media.

Manchester United may be on the verge of signing Bordeaux star Adam Ounas after the midfielder followed several Red Devil players on social media.

Ounas followed Manchester United attacker and fellow countryman Anthony Martial on Twitter, which may have merely been a coincidence considering their shared French nationality. However, he further sparked rumors by following Bastian Schweinsteiger, Wayne Rooney, and Marcus Rashford. The youngster even follows Zlatan Ibrahimovic, another name frequently linked with a move to Old Trafford.

The 19-year-old’s move suggests a deal is close or has already been completed. If the latter is true, it would be the second time in as many tries that Ed Woodward has landed a signing without much previous fanfare from the media. Eric Bailly joined Manchester United with near secrecy, as newspapers only picked up on the story once it had been confirmed he’d be undergoing a medical with the club.

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Likewise, Ounas’s spree on social media is the first hint of any ongoing negotiations between the two parties. Whether or not that has any implications for the other, more covered transfer rumours – Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, for example – is yet to be seen.

What is clear, however, is that if there is a transfer in the works, Jose Mourinho has confirmed his desire to bring in young talent in various positions. Having recently completed the signing of Bailly, a 22-year-old defender, the Red Devils are now linked with a teenager attacker in Ounas.

Last season, the French youth international featured 28 times for Bordeaux, with ten of those appearances coming from the bench. Most frequently, a fact that further suggests his social media followings are more than mere coincidence, he played at right-forward for the French club. Manchester United is in desperate need of a right-winger, with Jesse Lingard the only viable option from last campaign.

Speaking back in October, Ounas commented on his favored position:

"“I’m most comfortable on the right wing. I prefer cutting in, shooting on goal or playing one-twos. I’d say my second-best position is playing centrally. When you play there you can feed the wingers. I have the vision to do that. The left wing is more for players that cross the ball into the box all the time.”"

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In his opportunities, Ounas scored five goals and provided two assists while maintaining a 77% pass success rate across all competitions, per WhoScored. His goal scoring mark was good enough for third in the team, while he also ranked at least 6th in the team for shots per game, key passes, and dribbles. It’s evident that the Under-20 French international has composure on the ball and a willingness to attack defenders. At times he can force the issue, but that is characteristic of most players at his age.

Casting doubt on the transfer is that Manchester United has also been heavily linked with Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Borussia Dortmund – also a winger. It will be interesting to see whether Mourinho opts for the younger, rawer prospect in Ounas or chooses the more proven Mkhitaryan.

Next: Assessing the Potential Midfield Signings

Whichever is the case, Manchester United has already made a significant improvement on their transfer record in past years by making concrete offers early in the summer. There won’t be any panic-buys at the end of August, which should bode well for the cohesiveness in the team for next season.