Manchester United set their sights on £30 million-rated AS Monaco defender
Manchester United are already planning to get another defender in the team if the Harry Maguire deal falls through, with the club lining up a move for AS Monaco's Benoit Badiashile, valued at £30 million.
According to a report from L'Equipe, Manchester United are currently plotting a move for 18-year-old Benoit Badiashile, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer planning to build up a solid back line for the coming season.
Manchester United struggled at the back last season, recording their worst-ever Premier League campaign when it came to goals conceded, shipping in a whopping 54 goals, as Solskjaer plans to find a defensive partner for the reinvigorated Victor Lindelof.
Whilst several reports have indicated that United are set to sign Leicester City's Harry Maguire for a record-breaking £80 million transfer fee, other reports have hinted that Leicester may be wanting too much for the Englishman. This has led to Solskjaer seeking other options, with Badiashile being one of the club's top targets.
Badiashile has been part of AS Monaco's youth setup ever since 2016, debuting with the first-team last November, with the then manager Thierry Henry showing plenty of faith in the young Frenchman. In total, he managed 26 appearances, scoring a goal and providing an assist in the meantime as well.
The youngster impressed and was one of the few positives in a horrendous season for the French giants. Badiashile managed to rack up an average of 1.3 tackles per game and 3.9 clearances every game in just 20 Ligue 1 matches.
What is remarkable about Badiashile which has caught the eyes of plenty of French football fanatics is his composure on the ball, despite his relatively young age. In fact, Badiashile averages around 54.5 passes per Ligue 1 game, with a staggering 89.5% pass accuracy.
Whilst there are plenty of options for United at the back, most of them seem to not be good enough, and if Badiashile or Maguire come to the club, there have to be some players going out as well. There have been numerous rumours linking Victor Lindelof with a move to Barcelona, but seeing as he was the club's best defender last season, it would be difficult for the club to offload him. On the other hand, Marcos Rojo has been linked with a move away to a league outside of England, whilst Phil Jones has been linked with a move to a mid-table Premier League club.
Badiashile is valued at around £30 million, and currently has a contract keeping him at AS Monaco till 2021.
Apart from Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Valencia have also been linked with the Frenchman.
