Man Utd contact agent of 21yo Belgian with 6.4 recoveries/game, could replace Casemiro - report

Manchester United are scouting Royal Antwerp midfielder Mandela Keita regularly ahead of a potential approach to sign him this summer, according to Het Nieuwsblad.

The 21-year-old is currently in his first full season with the Belgian champions. He has caught the eye of many clubs with his performances and United have now joined the list.

Het Nieuwsblad claim that the Red Devils have scouted the midfielder ‘several times this year’ and have recently made contact with his agent Ediz Unal to obtain information.

There are no formal bids on the table for him and there is belief that proposals will be made in the summer. United could make a move, having watched him very closely.

Keita could be signed to reinforce United’s midfield

The Belgian ace has had a fine individual campaign with Antwerp. He has a passing accuracy of 89 per cent with an impressive 2.4 tackles and 5.5 duels won per outing.

The youngster has also made 6.4 recoveries per game for Antwerp alongside 1.7 interceptions.

He definitely has the potential to play at the biggest stage. We saw him shine in the shock 3-2 win over Barcelona in the Champions League group stage earlier this season.

In our view, Keita still needs more experience to become a starter for United. He could be a handy option to provide competition for places before establishing himself.

There has been much talk of Casemiro possibly leaving the club this summer, but we would ideally prefer him to stay for one more season such that the new arrival can take time and adapt.

Benfica’s Joao Neves would be our preferred midfield target, but he has a huge €120 million release clause in his deal. If United consider a cost-cut option, Keita could be a realistic target.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com

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