Manchester United can secure midfield wonderkid to stun Europe: report

Manchester United are reportedly hoping to continue their summer spending by bringing in a highly-rated young midfielder next.

United have already signed forward Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna and defender Leny Yoro from Lille in what was always expected to be a busy window for the Red Devils after Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group assumed control of football operations in February.

The Old Trafford outfit have also been linked with a number of other high-profile players, including Spain midfielder Fabian Ruiz and Paris Saint-Germain's Uruguayan international Manuel Ugarte.

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But one of INEOS' strategies will see a fresh focus on the recruitment of young talent and United have been tipped to move for highly-rated defensive midfielder Sekou Koné.

The 18-year-old plays in Mali with Guidars FC, but impressed for his national team in the Under-17 World Cup late last year.

According to German outlet Frankfurter Rundschau , United are one of several Premier League clubs interested in the midfielder.

The report claims Crystal Palace and Wolves are also interested in Koné, who has been described as a "hidden gem" by a scouting video on YouTube following his impressive displays for Mali at the U-17 World Cup.

Koné has "good tackling, excellent anticipation, a lot of pace and good passing," according to Frankfurter Runschau. He would reportedly be available for somewhere between €1.5 million and €2m.

In FourFourTwo 's view, Koné looks like a good prospect and this is exactly the kind of move which fits in with United's two-tier strategy. Whether he is good enough or not for the first team in future, the reasonable asking price makes this a low-risk move for the Red Devils.

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