According to Passioneinter.com (h/t The Sun), Manchester United are interested in Hellas Verona defender Marash Kumbulla.
20-year-old Kumbulla has become the talk of the town with his impressive displays at the back for Verona this season, which has seen them concede just 26 goals from their 25 league matches.
Only three other teams – Lazio (23), Juventus and Inter Milan (24 each) have a better defensive record than them this season. If you are one of those tipsters interesting in having your money placed against rising talents, there are several betting options in the United States to try your luck.
Young Kumbulla, who made his maiden appearance in Serie A has thus played a vital role in helping Verona climb to eighth in the table after earning promotion earlier this season.
Verona had marked a return back into the top-flight this season after getting relegated in the 2017-18, finishing last in the table.
It has also been Verona’s best-ever display Serie A in the past five seasons. A traditional centre-back, Kumbulla has had a breakthrough season with the Italian outfit, making 18 league appearances so far.
His eye-catching displays have not gone unnoticed with many clubs including United’s Premier League rivals Chelsea also keen on landing the defender to England.
To add more to his significance, Kumbulla has been part of the Verona side that won eight out of their overall nine league wins this season. Meanwhile, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the lookout for a new defender with a clear eye on the future.
He wants to rope in a young defender, who could build a stable partnership with record centre-back signing Harry Maguire. The Norwegian wants a consistent defensive pairing and Kumbulla seems to fit the mould perfectly after having proved his mettle at Verona.
Solskjaer has often deployed Swede Victor Lindelof at the back alongside Maguire for most of the matches. Lindelof has definitely grown in stature, especially this season but is yet to impress completely.
Meanwhile, United’s other defender Eric Bailly returned from a long injury lay off and has been pretty impressive in the last few games. However, he has been troubled by injuries constantly in the past and is something Solskjaer should not easily write off.
Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones, on the other hand, have fallen down the pecking order, with Solskjaer mostly preferring Lindelof and Bailly over the other two.
Bringing young Kumbulla, moreover, will offer Solskjaer the chance to sign a quality defender for a lesser price tag having spent heavily on Maguire and few other signings this season.
Verdict
Kumbulla is still very young and has plenty of time to develop. His arrival will also provide Solskjaer plenty of options in defence. Having proved his potential already, there is no denying the youngster’s talent. Hence, the Red Devils should splash the cash on Kumbulla sooner rather than later.