Pranav Kannan
Manchester United want to sign Barcelona defender Mikayil Faye
According to Spanish publication Fichajes, Manchester United want to sign Barcelona centre-back Mikayil Faye on the back of his impressive performances for the Spanish club’s reserve team and his sensational debut for Senegal.
Faye, a relatively unknown quantity when he signed for Barcelona at the start of the season has not even made his debut for the first-team yet. Despite making Xavi Hernandez’s La Liga squad on a solitary occasion, he is yet to be given his first minutes.
Despite this, the Senegalese international has already caught the eye with his performances for the reserve team. Having been handed an international call-up at the back of this, Faye announced himself in some style, scoring a screamer from long-range on debut.
The emergence of Pau Cubarasi, the 17-year-old La Masia sensation at Barcelona has set the cat amongst the pigeons when it comes to Faye’s future at the club. The Spanish international (yes, you read that right) has emerged out of the blue and established himself as one of the first names in the team’s defence.
With Ronald Araujo, Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, Andreas Christensen, Eric Garcia, Clement Lenglet and Pau Cubarsi – as many as seven centre-backs on Barcelona’s books, sacrifices will have to be made and could it be Faye who is let go of?
Some perspective is needed here. Eric Garcia and Lenglet are both out on loan and could be let go in the summer. Andreas Christensen has transitioned into a defensive midfield role. Jules Kounde is mostly playing as a right-back. Realistically, if you look at it, that only leaves Araujo, Cubarsi and Inigo as the centre-backs.
However, if Barcelona indeed made Faye available, Manchester United are looking to pounce. So is Bayer Leverkusen. So is Inter Milan. Interest from so many clubs only means one thing – there is a lot of potential that the 19-year-old possesses.
United have had their own share of defensive issues throughout the season but throwing a 19-year-old teenager in the deep end, however good he might be is not the answer. We need someone who is more established.
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It’s interesting to keep an eye out on what is set to happen with Faye’s situation at Barcelona. Let’s wait and see how it goes.
