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French defender reveals he had ‘contact’ with English clubs amid Man United links

Manchester United keeping tabs on AS Monaco youngster Benoit Badiashile.
Manchester United keeping tabs on AS Monaco youngster Benoit Badiashile.

AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile reveals contact from Premier League clubs amidst Manchester United interest

As quoted by The Sun, AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile has spoken about his interest in the Premier League and revealed that he has had some contact from English clubs in the past, amidst transfer interest from Manchester United.

Badiashile has been enjoying a fantastic campaign with Monaco, putting in impressive displays at the heart of defence. His performances for the club see them sit in second spot in the Ligue 1 table with one more game to go, although Paris Saint-Germain have already secured the title.

The defender spoke about his love for watching games in the PL, saying that it is a fantastic league. He also discussed the competitiveness of the top-flight, in what could be a big boost for the Red Devils ahead of the summer transfer window.

“We all know the competitiveness of the Premier League, it is a fantastic league that of course, is very interesting and we all love the games.”

Monaco's French defender, Benoit Badiashile, is on the radar of Man United. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Monaco’s French defender, Benoit Badiashile, is on the radar of Man United. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Aside from the Manchester side, Newcastle United are also keen on snapping up the central defender at the end of the season in order to reinforce their rearguard. The player has two years remaining on his contract, so it may not be as easy to convince Monaco to part with him.

“Right now, I’m really happy with Monaco”

This is not the first time that the 21-year-old has been on United’s radar, as they had a bid of £22m rejected in 2020. This time around, the France Under-21s captain will cost no less than £40m in the upcoming transfer window.

The Frenchman said that he is really happy with Monaco at the moment, and is fully focused on the end of the season with the Ligue 1 side. The defender also revealed that he has had some contact in the past with a few English clubs.

“Right now, I’m really happy with Monaco. I had some contact in the past with some [English] clubs but I’m fully focused on the end of the season and Monaco and I feel good.”

Newcastle and Man Utd keen on signing AS Monaco starlet Benoit Badiashile.
Newcastle and Man Utd keen on signing AS Monaco starlet Benoit Badiashile.

Central defence is an area where the Red Devils need reinforcements, given how underwhelming their current crop of options has been this season. Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane have been picked as the first-choice pairing at centre-back, but their partnership has not yielded any results.

Varane was signed last summer from Real Madrid and was expected to transform the United defence with his vast experience. However, he has failed to meet the standards he set with the France national team and Real, mainly due to his injury struggles this term.

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Maguire has regressed in form, barely able to put up a fight against stronger opposition. Meanwhile, the Manchester side’s other options in Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, and Eric Bailly have not been given enough chances to prove themselves.

Badiashile may be young, but he has racked up several appearances for Monaco in his fledgling career and gained enough experience. Perhaps he could be the signing that United so craved, and the English side could be lucky enough to beat Newcastle to his signature and secure his services after failing the first time.

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