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Strengthening the midfield is a key objective for Manchester United in the upcoming season.
Despite no new midfield signings so far, the club plans to buy a midfielder after the sale of one of their experienced midfielders.
Scott McTominay, despite his desire to stay, is likely to be sold, with Fulham showing significant interest.
Christian Eriksen is also reportedly not part of Erik ten Hag’s plans, necessitating the acquisition of a new central midfielder.
Ten Hag has been particularly impressed by Kobbie Mainoo, who performed well in the Euro campaign for England and scored a crucial goal in the FA Cup final against Manchester City and United are in search of a partner for Mainoo in this summer’s transfer market.
United has shortlisted several midfield targets, including Manuel Ugarte, Martin Zubimendi, Adrien Rabiot, and Youssouf Fofana, with Ugarte being their primary focus.
Milan launch first bid for United target – Youssouf Fofana
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Italian journalist and transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio reports that AC Milan has entered the race for United target Youssouf Fofana from Monaco, submitting an initial bid of €17 million.
Atletico Madrid is also monitoring Fofana, who has drawn interest from various European clubs due to his performances for both club and country.
Fofana, favored by French national team manager Didier Deschamps, played a pivotal role in France’s journey to the 2022 World Cup final and featured in three matches in the recent Euro Championship.
He joined Monaco in 2020 from Strasbourg and has since become one of Ligue 1’s standout midfielders.
Last season, Fofana scored four goals and provided four assists in 35 games across all competitions. Entering the final year of his contract, Monaco values him at €35 million, a figure Milan’s initial bid falls short of.
However, Monaco might reduce their asking price slightly but is unlikely to accept less than €20 million.
It is now expected that Milan are preparing to offer an improved bid for the Frenchman.
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