Manchester United opinion: Why the Red Devils should sign Diadie Samassekou

Despite a slow summer in the transfer market, which has only seen the arrivals of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James so far, Manchester United have been impressing on the pitch.

With four wins from four games in pre-season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be delighted with the way how his squad is shaping up ahead of the 2019/20 Premier League campaign.

The latest pre-season victory came over Tottenham in Shanghai on Thursday. The Reds have two more friendlies to come before the start of the season, away to Norwegian side Kristiansund on Tuesday and against AC Milan in Cardiff the following Saturday.

While the performances as a whole and the results have been impressive, Manchester United’s squad are still miles behind from challenging the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

They still are short of defensive and midfield reinforcements and with Romelu Lukaku heavily linked with a move to Inter Milan, Solskjaer might also have to recruit a forward inside two weeks’ time if the Belgian departs.

Above all, the Red Devils are yet to replace the likes of Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini which has left Solskjaer’s midfield very light in options.

The Norwegian tactician is left with the likes of Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Andreas Pereira, Fred and Nemanja Matic in central midfield, which apparently isn’t enough for a United side aiming for trophies next season.

Matic has proven to be a weak link in United’s new fluid system in the pre-season so far and Solskjaer’s main task will be to recruit a quick, dynamic and mobile player to replace the Serbian in midfield. With that in mind, United must rekindle their interest in Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Diadie Samassekou.

Samassekou is considered to be one of the most highly-rated midfielders in Europe and was one of the best players at the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations. He was a key player as Salzburg lifted the Austrian Bundesliga title last season and reached the semi-final of the UEFA Europa League.

The Mali international is a defensive midfielder by trade and his strengths lie in tackling, interception and distribution skills. He is an effective link between the defence and the attack, which should attract Solskjaer.

Even though the 23-year-old isn’t known for his creativity and goalscoring ability, his ability to pick out a pass is still fantastic.

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Samassekou’s passing and crossing are really good, and that combined with his work-rate, energy, mobility and defensive acumen would make him a perfect foil to have in United’s midfield, especially in a midfield three of Pogba and McTominay.

All in all, the 23-year-old would undoubtedly bolster United’s midfield ahead of the new campaign.

Verdict

Samassekou has a bright future and at the age of 23, he would represent a fantastic long-term investment for United.