Manchester United are edging closer to a deal for £26 million-rated Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, according to reports.
The 18-year-old has one year left on his contract and the French club are likely to sell him this summer to avoid losing the youngster on a free transfer next year.
The Guardian reports that United have progressed in their efforts to reach a deal for Camavinga, but the Old Trafford club face competition from PSG for his signature.
Rennes will listen to offers of around €30m (25.7m), but more competitors could emerge to try and tie down one of European football’s hottest prospects.
Camavinga broke into the Rennes side aged just 16 and has risen rapidly in his short career, becoming the youngest France debutant since 1914 when he earned his first cap against Croatia last year.
The teenager’s youth belies his maturity or physique and, according to WhoScored data, he has made more tackles than any other player in Ligue 1 since the start of the 2019/20 season.
It promises to be a busy summer for United, with a £73m deal for Jadon Sancho already agreed and speculation circulating about potential moves for Kieran Trippier, Raphael Varane and Declan Rice.
But they may never get a better opportunity to sign a top prospect like Camavinga for such an affordable fee.
Camavinga already has three France caps and 67 Ligue 1 appearances to his name and has demonstrated the potential to become one of Europe’s best midfielders.
“He has this simplicity that brings the ball to life,” Landry Chavin, the former head of the Rennes academy, told Bleacher Report in November.
“He touches the ball as much as anyone else, but sparingly. He doesn’t need to carry it. He passes the ball, he makes himself available; he passes, he makes himself available.”
This may not be the easiest year for clubs to be splashing out big transfer fees, following a season without gate receipts, but £25m could prove to be a steal if Camavinga continues his upward trajectory.
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