United recruitment chief has his eyes on 18yo record-breaking French genius who has the world at his feet – report

Manchester United’s need for midfield reinforcements is evident from the team’s displays this season.

Casemiro is not expected to remain at Old Trafford beyond the current season, while there are question marks regarding the futures of both Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes.

Carlos Baleba is reportedly a prime target, but he is expected to cost €100 million at least. INEOS might prefer a more cost-effective option, given their summer splurge.

Christopher Vivell is always on the lookout for the next diamond in the rough, as seen from the Red Devils’ acquisition of Sekou Kone and Benjamin Sesko.

Vivell eyeing Ayyoub Bouaddi

The German now has his eyes on Lille wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi, who has proven to be a revelation since he became the club’s youngest-ever player to feature in a European match as well as their youngest debutant.

The 18-year-old has featured in every game for Lille this season, with scouts watching on as the French side held defending Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-1 draw.

And the 20-time English league champions have their eyes on him, and while Amorim would prefer a more seasoned and Premier League-proven option, United feel the France U21 international has the ability to make an instant impact.

Journalist Dean Jones told Teamtalk, “Another promising teenager who has caught Man Utd‘s eye again in the shape of Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.

“He is a very interesting player to keep an eye on. He played a full 90 minutes in midfield recently against PSG and plenty of scouts were at the game watching him.

Suits United’s requirements

“Man Utd and Christopher Vivell [in charge of identifying new, upcoming talent] definitely like him. It’s difficult to know exactly how they measure an offer at this stage because they are obviously in a very fragile stage of their squad rebuild and throwing a teenager into the mix isn’t the most reliable thing they could do.

“But he’s extremely good, and could make an impact on the current crop. I do think they would open up a pathway for him. Obviously they are being linked with some expensive midfielders who are more established in the Premier League but let’s see what happens.”

That shows how highly-rated he is with multiple clubs tailing him. The Frenchman can also play all across the midfield, but he mainly excels as a deep-lying playmaker, which would definitely suit Amorim’s system.

Whether United come up with an offer in the summer remains to be seen. But Ayyoub Bouaddi certainly fits INEOS’ youth-first approach and the club could yet pounce given his relatively low valuation.

Feature image Christof Koepsel via Getty Images

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