From Italy: United, City to go head-to-head to acquire Napoli “untouchable” who has dominated Serie A under Conte

With Casemiro and Christian Eriksen expected to depart at the end of the season, Manchester United are on the lookout for midfield reinforcements.

The Dane no longer has the legs to operate in Ruben Amorim’s high-intensity system and his contract is up in the summer and the Red Devils have no plans of offering him a new deal.

As for the Brazilian, he is experiencing an upturn in form and the head coach clearly likes him but INEOS want him gone on account of his humongous wages.

United have naturally been linked with multiple replacements including the likes of Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace and Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes.

Both are expected to cost a bomb, something the co-owners might not be in a position to pay and hence, they will be looking at more cost-effective options.

Midfielder required

Ederson of Atalanta has also emerged as a concrete option but signing him would require the club to win the Europa League. An easier option could be on the horizon if an Italian report is to be believed.

As per Area Napoli, Napoli’s Andrè-Frank Zambo Anguissa has emerged as a target with intermediaries offering his services to both the red and blue half of Manchester.

The Cameroonian’s current deal was set to expire in the summer of 2025 but the Naples outfit have triggered an extension and sporting director Giovanni Manna was recently in England to discuss the Victor Osimhen situation and might have asked about the 29-year-old midfielder as well.

“Andrè-Frank Zambo Anguissa could leave Napoli and return to the Premier League. His entourage – as learned by AreaNapoli.it – have offered him to Manchester City and Manchester United, in addition to Chelsea, for the next season.

“In the past tempted by an experience in Saudi Arabia and sounded out in recent months by Monaco and Marseille, the Cameroonian midfielder was close to being sold in the summer, although Aurelio De Laurentiis has protected himself by exercising the renewal option in favor of the blue club.

“The sporting director Giovanni Manna, in these days, would have stopped in Manchester – via London – to talk about some possible operations to set up with United (first of all Victor Osimhen, ed.).

Battle for Anguissa

“Who knows, maybe the occasion was also useful to talk about Anguissa, after the player’s intermediary has already taken the pulse of the Red Devils and Guardiola’s Citizens.”

He is Premier League-proven, having played at Fulham but has excelled since his move to the Serie A, with Antonio Conte terming him an “untouchable” due to his importance to his plans.

The Cameroon international has six goals and four assists this season and he can play both as a defensive midfielder as well as a central midfielder.

He ranks in the 93rd percentile for dribbles, and in the 96th percentile for duels won (as per fotmob), which highlights how effective he can be at both ends of the pitch.

Anguissa has a market value of €27 million, which is far less than United’s other targets. Whether INEOS actually go after him in the summer remains to be seen.

Feature image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images

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