Abhranil Roy
As a club reputed in bringing out the best young footballers for nearly a century now, Manchester United are always on the lookout for promising talent. The latest youngster to be monitored is Tiemoue Bakayoko , the French midfielder from AS Monaco.
The Red Devils are looking to add steel to the centre of the park this summer, with Jose Mourinho keen to freshen up his options, and Bakayoko is one of the options United are considering, according to L’Equipe.The 21-year-old faces an uncertain future at Monaco after falling out of favour under the club’s boss Leonardo Jardim and has offers from several clubs around Europe.
So who is this guy and why are we monitoring him?
Let’s have a look
Profile:
Born in France, he has already played for the French international youth teams at multiple levels and cuts an imposing figure in front of his current defensive back four. He’s a highly talented player that French football based website French Football Weekly rates very highly and a star they gave a glowing report to in their assessment of the best young players in France; a guide called Le50.
Strengths:
According to the same report, ” His best position is sitting just in front of the defence where he can easily break up attacks and get counter-attacks started. His defensive work is impressive and his tackling ability really makes him stand out.”
Clearly, Tiemoue was born for that defensive midfield role, and given how Carrick is ageing and how inconsistent Bastian is, we could do with a dependable central midfielder.
Weaknesses:
As it is with most young players, he is not level headed and lacks the physique that the English Premier League demands. However, the talent in him is undeniable and that’s what really matters.
Future:
Given Monaco’s model and reputation of developing youngsters, and also seeing how excellent our last buy from them, Anthony Martial turned out, I think United should lap up Tiemoue Bakayoko and give him the platform he deserves.
