Manchester United

Manchester United

Premier League • England

League-leading stats attract Man Utd, Chelsea to impressive Ibrahim Sangare amid transfer revelation

Ibrahim Sangare playing for PSV

Ibrahim Sangare of PSV finds himself mentioned as a Liverpool target

Ibrahim Sangare is of interest to Manchester United and Chelsea after being linked with two other Premier League clubs, according to a report.

Sangare is a defensive midfielder who represents PSV Eindhoven at club level and Ivory Coast internationally. He also previously played for Toulouse in France. Yet it could soon be time for him to try out a third league in his club career.

According to Sky Sports, Sangare wants to play in the Premier League and is in fact “convinced” of his chance to be in English football next season.

Indeed, the 24-year-old has admirers in the shape of Manchester United and Chelsea. In addition, Sky cite Dutch sources that have named Liverpool and Newcastle as admirers.

Sangare could be available for €35m (£29.9m) if reports of him having a release clause in his contract are correct.

Those figures are within reach for clubs of United’s and Chelsea’s statures. What’s more, both clubs need to strengthen in his position.

Man Utd will be letting Nemanja Matic go this summer. He was the only natural defensive midfielder in their squad. With more attacking options like Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard departing too, reinforcements are a requirement in the middle.

Frenkie de Jong is their prime target, but he may not want to leave Barcelona. Besides, he is more of a passing midfielder, rather than the tackler that United need. Perhaps they could make two signings there to complement one another.

Sangare certainly fits the bill as a defensive midfielder. Across the 2021-22 Eredivisie, no midfielder made more interceptions and only one bettered him for tackles. In the opposite phase of the game, he also completed the third highest number of passes.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are well-stocked in midfield, as Saul Niguez found out while struggling to get gametime during a loan spell from Atletico Madrid. He is not the only midfielder who may make way from the Blues’ engine room, though.

N’Golo Kante and Jorginho are both the wrong side of 30 and have just one year left on each of their contracts. Although both are elite operators in their role, Chelsea could move at least one of them on.

Ibrahim Sangare would also be useful to Liverpool or Newcastle

PSV midfielder Ibrahim Sangare

Claims of interest from Liverpool and Newcastle are not too surprising either. Somewhat like Chelsea, many of Liverpool’s main midfielders are getting towards the twilight of their careers.

The Champions League runners-up were looking at Aurelien Tchouameni to evolve in the role, but he is choosing the side that beat them in Paris, Real Madrid, instead.

As for Newcastle, Bruno Guimaraes arrived in January and made a good impression. But there will always be scope for the squad to improve further now they have huge financial backing.

PSV have Sangare under contract until 2025. The imposing, 6’3″ midfielder, though, could leave them before then if he gets his way.

He seems ready to take the leap to the Premier League and perhaps Man Utd or Chelsea could benefit, just as Liverpool or Newcastle would be hoping to.

READ MOREMan Utd fears over Chelsea transfer emerge, as Erik ten Hag prepares risky Frenkie de Jong strategy