Krishnan Sreekumar
Transfer News: Monaco tell Manchester United how much they need to pay for Benoit Badiashile
According to The Sun, Manchester United will need to shell out a hefty £40m to regain the lead in the race to sign centre-back Benoit Badiashile from Monaco in the summer.
United are targeting reinforcements in their defence ahead of the new season, and the Frenchman has been identified as a possible option for the club.
The 20-year-old has proven his worth in Ligue 1 over the past couple of seasons, and it may be time for the defender to move on to a bigger platform in terms of team and league.
United had a £22m bid for Badiashile rejected in the 2020 summer transfer window when the player was in his late teens, and it looks like the Red Devils may be back for the defender this summer, after nearly two years.
Defensive reinforcement
The 6 ft 4 in defender is young and has a lot of time ahead of him to hone his skills. That being said, at his age, he may not be an instant starter for the team over the likes of Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane, but can offer them adequate competition.
Fringe players like Eric Bailly and Phil Jones have not done enough to claim a starting place in the squad, which may be why United could likely be chasing Badiashile’s signature actively ahead of the new season. However, an important factor in the club’s interest in the youngster could be that he has played only 45 minutes of football since early November because of a hamstring problem.
United are sure to face competiton from several clubs at the end of the season for the Monaco defender, with the player highly sought after in January during the winter transfer window. From the Premier League itself, clubs like West Ham United and Newcastle United had offers rejected by Monaco.
United will have to dig deep if they want to sign Badiashile, with quite a hefty price set for a young defender who has hardly played any first-team action this season due to injury. The club hierarchy will need to decide whether it is worth shelling out so much for someone who is only 20-years-old.
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Interim boss Ralf Rangnick is said to be a long-term admirer of the Ligue 1 player, and could persuade the club to pursue the player ahead of the new season. It remains to be seen whether United will actively pursue the player, given the price tag that Monaco have set.
Badiashile is young, inexperienced, and coming off the back of a hamstring injury. The Premier League is harsh on players who cannot meet the demands of the fast-paced English game, and only time will tell whether he will prove to be a success in England’s top-flight, if United manage to snap up the defender.
