Pranav Nair
Leicester City make £35m bid for Manchester United target Boubakary Soumare
According to The Sun, Leicester City have made their move to beat Manchester United to the signing of LOSC Lille star Boubakary Soumare.
The Foxes have made an offer of £35m for the French midfielder and are ready to offer him £5m per year in wages. The 22-year-old has been on Leicester’s radar for a while now.
With his current contract expiring in 2022, Lille could be forced into making a decision on Soumare’s future this summer. As things stand, the Foxes look to have made the first punt.
Having come through the academy at Paris Saint-Germain, Soumare joined Lille in 2017. Today, he is a key part of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy outfit that is looking to usurp PSG as the country’s top team.
Soumare has made 40 appearances for Lille this season, making one assist. The French side hold a one-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 with three games to go.
The Frenchman’s performances have not gone unnoticed. The likes of West Ham United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are all aware of his prowess.
Brendan Rodgers’ side are on course to finish in the top four this season. They will be well-placed to attract top talent in the summer if they can provide Champions League football.
The Foxes have a good record of signing top-quality midfielders from France. N’Golo Kante was signed in 2015 before they went on to add Youri Tielemans to their roster in 2019.
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With the future of Paul Pogba unclear and Nemanja Matic not getting any younger, United will need to reinforce their central midfield. Soumare’s physical prowess makes him a good fit for the Red Devils squad.
Whether Leicester’s move for him will pave the way for United to land Wilfred Ndidi remains to be seen.
