Man Utd weigh up transfer hijack for midfielder despite ‘agreement’ with Euro giants

Man Utd are considering whether to hijack AC Milan’s deal to sign Monaco defensive midfielder Youssouf Fofana, according to reports.

The Red Devils have made a good start to the summer transfer window with Netherlands international Joshua Zirkzee joining from Bologna, while young French centre-back Leny Yoro has arrived from Lille.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are attempting to lower the age of Erik ten Hag’s squad as they target younger players with plenty of potential.

There were rumours earlier this year which claimed that Ratcliffe had ordered the recruitment department at Man Utd to only sign players aged 25 and under .

The new Man Utd co-owner hinted that he was going down that route when he claimed that it makes more sense to find the “next” Kylian Mbappe than spending huge amounts of the current one.

When asked whether he would rather sign Tadej Pogačar for his INEOS cycling team or new Real Madrid star Mbappe for Man Utd, Ratcliffe told the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcast in March : “What I would rather do, I would rather find the next Mbappe, rather than spend a fortune to just try and buy success.

“It’s not that clever, is it? Buying Mbappe. In a way. Anyone could figure that one out. But what is much more challenging is to find the next Mbappe or the next [Jude] Bellingham or the next Roy Keane.”

INEOS cyclist Thomas suggested the idea of Bellingham signing for Man Utd, despite admitting there is ‘no chance’ of the Red Devils striking a deal, to which Ratcliffe replied: “He’s a great footballer [but] it’s not where our focus is.

“The solution isn’t spending a lot of money on a couple of great players. They’ve done that, if you look at the last 10 years.

“The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes, managing and organising the club.

“We must make sure we get recruitment right, such a vital part of running a football club is getting recruitment right, finding new players.”

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And 25-year-old France international Fofana just meets Ratcliffe’s reported age demands and RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins insists that Man Utd still hold an interest in the Monaco star and could make a move, despite his ‘agreement’ with AC Milan.

Hawkins wrote on RMC Sport : ‘Youssouf Fofana has reached a four-year contract agreement with AC Milan, according to information from RMC Sport, but the Lombard club must still negotiate with Monaco for the transfer of the French midfielder during the summer transfer window.

‘Manchester United and another Champions League club are also interested in the French international with a view to a transfer during the summer.’