Who is the £36m goalscoring machine Chelsea and Manchester United are trying to sign? Everything you need to know

Scout Report – Moussa Marega

Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly interested in a January move for Porto forward Moussa Marega, who has been earning rave reviews for his performances lately. Both clubs are understood to have enquired his availability and it will be interesting to see which of these powerhouse sides end up signing him. There is definitely some room for a forward at Stamford Bridge as well as at Old Trafford and Marega does seem like a viable option.

Estimated to be valued at £36million, he sounds like an economical option. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the player’s profile.

History

Born in 1991 in Les Ulis, France, Marega is of Malian descent. He forayed into the world of football by starting his career at local club Evry FC. However, he eventually moved to Vendee Poire-sur-Vie in 2012 but did not stay there for long, since he then joined Amiens SC. After playing a short stint there, Marega chose to move to Portugal and played for C.S. Maritimo. His performances there attracted attention from FC Porto and they signed him in 2016 on a contract lasting until 2020.

After making a string of appearances as a substitute, Marega was loaned to Vitoria S.C. His goalscoring exploits for Vitoria were quite remarkable and the player returned to Porto in the beginning of the current season. He has been unstoppable ever since and has scored 14 goals and 2 assists in 16 league appearances this term.

Playing Style

Marega may primarily be used as a centre-forward at Porto but he boasts of tremendous potential in other areas as well. He is quite versatile and can play on both wings. Known for being quite strong in the air, Marega is adept at dribbling and has some classy finishing skills. Shooting from distance is a strength of his but he seems to have a penchant for playing short and effective passes to maintain fluidity in the game. However, he is weak when it comes to offside awareness and defensive contribution.

Marega’s Future

At Chelsea, Antonio Conte is keen on strengthening his options and does not seem to trust Michy Batshuayi much, thus making a move for Marega seem highly likely. Similarly, at United, Jose Mourinho is in dire need of strengthening his attacking options.

Romelu Lukaku is nearing a return after a horrific crash in the match against Southampton but his goals have dried up to an extent and the manager will need another option even though he has Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the squad. Marega can prove to be a valuable addition to both sides but it remains to be seen which club he eventually joins.