Man Utd Have Made Kante Clone ‘Top Target’ For The Summer And He Has A Release Clause

BACK David Tully Mar 18th 2026 Sevilla midfielder Lucien Agoume is a “top target” for Man Utd ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports. Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali is believed to be the preferred option to strengthen the midfield at the moment, but The I Paper claim Agoume’s name features prominently on the club’s shortlist too. Agoume has often been compared to former Leicester and Chelsea star N’Golo Kante in terms of his style of play. He has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford (as well as Arsenal) in past transfer windows, but it seems the Red Devils retain a strong interest in the player. Agoume has a release clause When United were mentioned as a potential suitor for the 24-year-old last summer, reports in Spain confirmed that Sevilla would be forced into selling him if a club matched his €40m (£34.6m) buyout fee. It means Agoume would be a lot cheaper than some of the other midfielders that Director of Football Jason Wilcox has been looking at. Tonali is valued in excess of £100m, while Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson will be priced at a similar amount. Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is set to cost around £70m, while Brighton won’t allow Carlos Baleba to be sold for a low fee either, even though the Cameroon international has not had the best of seasons. Man Utd are keen on Premier League experience Despite clearly being fans of Agoume, The I Paper suggest that Wilcox and Head of Recruitment Christopher Vivell may ultimately decide against making a move for the midfielder due to one important reason. They have placed great importance on signing players who have played in English football. Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were both recruited last year as they had already proven themselves in the Premier League. It means the Red Devils are more likely to press ahead with bids for Tonali, Anderson and Wharton, even though they are a lot more expensive than Agoume. Want more news on Man Utd? Add Man U News as a preferred source on Google David Tully David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for the Football News Network.