Manchester United ‘already in talks’ to sign defensive prodigy from Anthony Martial’s former club
Manchester United continue their search for a defensive acquisition.
Labelled the hit as a “marvellous goal”, Manchester United former manager Louis van Gaal was adamant that he had a gem in his hands.
Although the gaffer was the first person to call Anthony Martial‘s £36 million initial transfer fee while making the move from French side AS Monaco to the Old Trafford a “ridiculous” one publicly, Martial’s debut goal at 86th-minute in his first game for the Red Devils in a 3-1 victory against their fierce rivals Liverpool was one of the headline stories all over the UK next morning.
It was then back in 2015. And today, we are in 2020. It has been four long-lived years since Louis van Gaal parted his ways with Manchester United, and, to be fair to him, his one of the big signings has turned into a pivotal cog in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s current United side — a side that is endeavouring hard to get back to the pinnacle of English football, and more widely European football.
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Over the decades, AS Monaco have had been one of the best prospects when it comes to recruiting young talents from all across the globe. Just like Martial, Monaco have had nurtured some of the best young talents over the years that include the name of Kylian Mbappe — one of the leading superstars in the French territory.
However, the illustrious club’s overall performances have not been that good over the last two years, resulting in Monaco finishing 17th — just above the relegation berth — in the 2018-19 campaign and achieving 9th spot in the following campaign.
As things stand, Monaco is set to miss out on both UEFA Champions League and Europa League for a consecutive second time next season, meaning the financial loss would be massive and some up-and-coming stars might be thinking of leaving the French city this summer.
One of the many names that are leading the queue is of Benoît Badiashile, a 19-year-old left-footed centre-half, who has made 16 appearances for the Ligue 1 side this term, having completed 1.7 Interceptions, 3.4 Clearances, and 0.7 blocks per game, as per the stats from WhoScored.com.
Badiashile has possessed 85.3% passing accuracy this season, with the French starlet playing 58.4 passes on the average per game and completing 0.1 key passes per 90-minutes despite operating from a deep position.
And with the likes of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, and Marcos Rojo likely to leave their parent club during this ongoing summer transfer window, Manchester United are currently in dire need of a centre-back and want to strike a deal as quickly as possible as Premier League 2020-21 season is set to commence on September 12.
TF1 journalist Julien Maynard (via Sportwitness) has claimed that both Manchester United and German Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen have shown immense interest in Badiashile and are presently in talks with Monaco’s authorities, insisting that Manchester United, alongside Real Madrid, also have kept a close eye on the situation of the centre-back, who is believed to be available for more than €15 million amid the financial crisis brought upon by the coronavirus pandemic.
With United currently crying for a left-footed centre-back who can partner Harry Maguire in his crimes, Benoît Badiashile could be a decent yet shocking addition to the roster.
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Do you think Manchester United should go for Benoît Badiashile this summer?