Eduardo Camavinga may not be a household name just yet, but the Rennes teenager is in demand and has been dubbed ‘the next Paul Pogba’ by some sections of the media.
The Red Devils are just one of the clubs vying for his signature this summer, although they are likely to face stiff competition from Real Madrid.
United’s head of global scouting Marcel Bout is believed to have watched the Camavinga several times and has compiled a series of extremely favourable reports. As a result, the Premier League outfit are feeling extremely confident about their chances of wrapping up the deal.
Despite his lack of experience, the 17-year old has made enough of an impression in Ligue 1 to be the subject of a transfer tussle this season, and his composed performances have also drawn comparisons with the likes of Xabi Alonso.
Recording an impressive 88% pass accuracy in the French top flight, his distribution levels are extremely assured for such a young player. He is an incredibly proactive player, and rarely sits back and lets the match pass him by.
He seems determined to be involved at all times and will immediately move into space after offloading the ball to a team-mate. He moves incredibly effectively between the lines, and his reading of the game is second to none.
With two years left on his contract in northwest France, the teenager wouldn’t come cheap, although United are hoping that a bid of £25million would be enough to persuade the midfielder to make the short hop across the English Channel.
Camavinga is one of a number of exciting young French prospects who are being watched by Premier League clubs, and with United recently extending their European scouting department, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see team-mate Yann Ghobo also linked with a move to the English top flight in the near future.
It isn’t the first time that the club have been linked with a teenage prospect. 15-year old Alphonso Davies was recommended to the club by former scout Jorge Alvial; however, the move never materialised and he ended up switching to Bayern Munich for a then-MLS record transfer free of around $16million.
This amount has since been eclipsed by Miguel Almiron’s move to Newcastle United. With Major League Soccer shifting their focus onto developing young talent, the Paraguayan’s £21million transfer fee is likely to be gazumped over the coming seasons.
Alphonso Davies’ Manchester United trial next month called off #mufc https://t.co/9fQZr9ZLLl
— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN) December 17, 2017
This new approach is designed to help clubs become more sustainable as well as increase the league’s global appeal. Although it still significantly trails NFL in terms of popularity across the United States, it has become far more sought-after by both fans and sports bettors in recent seasons. As WSN (World Sports Network) explains, the sports betting situation in states such as New Jersey is currently thriving with mobile betting also growing exponentially.
This has enabled fans of the game to easily access the latest soccer betting markets whilst on the move, and it’s a trend which is only likely to increase if Major League Soccer can fulfil its commitment to nurturing and developing top talent. Although most of the players linked with Manchester United are currently plying their trade in Europe, it won’t be long until the club decide to launch a comprehensive scouting network across the USA and Canada.
The Red Devils would likely loan Eduardo Camavinga back to Rennes for the duration of the 2020-21 campaign, enabling him to continue his development in Ligue 1. If they do manage to sign him, United fans will be hoping that ‘the next Paul Pogba’ can show the kind of consistency that his fellow countryman has been unable to produce over the past couple of seasons.
