Man Utd holding talks to sign “explosive” £61m star

There were plenty of significant outgoings at Manchester United in the summer, but one of the most notable departures was Marcus Rashford.

He moved to Barcelona on loan with an option to buy him at the end of the summer, essentially calling time on his wonderful Old Trafford career.

The Wythenshawe-born superstar made 426 appearances for his boyhood club since breaking through as a teenager, scoring 138 goals and assisting 79 times.

He was sensational for a decade or so, helping to guide United to two Carabao Cup wins, the Europa League and two FA Cup titles.

Now, with Rashford having essentially left the club, United are looking to bring in a new left-winger.

Man Utd targeting new teenage winger

Rashford was not the only left-winger to leave Old Trafford in the summer. His fellow academy graduate, Alejandro Garnacho, also left for Chelsea, leaving the Red Devils depleted in that area of the pitch.

Thus, it might not be a surprise to learn that United are in the market for a new left-sided attacker.

The Daily Mail are reporting that Ruben Amorim’s side ‘are now asking about’ terms to sign RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande in the coming weeks.

However, this is not going to be an easy deal to do. The Ivorian international is a player in demand, with Bundesliga side Bayern Munich and Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur having also enquired about the deal.

In terms of the fee, United’s owners INEOS, and indeed other interested parties, could be looking at upwards of £61m to sign the winger.

What Diomande can bring to United

Signing Diomande would certainly be a huge statement for the Red Devils. He is arguably one of the most highly rated young attackers on the planet and has already become a key player for Leipzig in his first season at the club.

So far, the 19-year-old, who is a full international with Cote d’Ivoire, has made 16 appearances for the Bundesliga side this term.

In that time, he’s scored seven times and assisted four, averaging a goal involvement every 94 minutes, which is certainly an impressive return.

One of the most striking things when you watch Diomande is how deadly a dribbler he is.

Described as an “explosive” winger by football scout Antonio Mango, he thrives in one-vs-one situations, isolating a defender before looking to drive at them with his power and quick feet.

It is interesting to consider the similarities between Diomande now and Rashford as a teenager. Funnily enough, 1999 treble winner and fellow academy graduate Nicky Butt said the now-Barca winger was an “explosive” player in his younger days, too.

Like the Ivorian, he played with fearlessness, really looking to get at defenders on the front foot.

Indeed, the former United number ten played a lot more first-team football as a teenager than Diomande has. Rashford hasd notched up 87 appearances by his 20th birthday, scoring 26 times.

Strikes like this against West Ham United highlight that explosive nature Butt mentioned.

It is easy to see the similarities between a teenage Rashford and Leipzig’s own young talent, and the stats further highlight this.

For example, in 2016/17, a campaign the Englishman began as a teenager, he averaged 4.08 progressive carries and created 1.09 chances per 90 minutes. In comparison, Diomande averages 6.26 progressive carries and 1.41 key passes each game.

When he first broke through at Old Trafford, Rashford was a dynamic attacking option who continued to thrive for years in his 20s.

Now he’s departed, there isn’t really anyone of that profile at the club, be it an established player or someone breaking through.

Well, signing Diomande could solve that. He has certainly got similar attributes to Rashford, with that previously acknowledged explosive nature and a threat in the final third.

£61m is a fair value for such a talent in the current market, and he could add a new dimension to Amorim’s side.

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