Manchester United are reportedly eyeing a swoop for Hoffenheim midfielder Christoph Baumgartner and are leading several Premier League clubs in his pursuit.
According to a report from The Sun, Manchester United are interested in signing Austrian midfield sensation Christoph Baumgartner from Bundesliga outfit TSG Hoffenheim, but face competition from several Premier League clubs.
21-year-old Baumgartner came through the youth ranks at Austrian outfit SV Horn before switching to the St. Polten academy in 2012. Having spent five years on the club’s books, the midfielder made the jump to Hoffenheim. Having earned his stripes with the Under-19s and the reserves, he made his debut for the German outfit in 2019.
Since then, Baumgartner has gone on to feature 55 times across all competitions, scoring 12 goals and setting up 13 more. The Austrian has been in fine form in the 2020/21 campaign, bagging five goals and seven assists from 25 matches in all competitions.
Baumgartner’s exploits with Hoffenheim have seemingly put him on the radars of Manchester United. The Red Devils strengthened their midfield unit in the summer with the signing of Donny van de Beek, who has found game-time hard to come by this season, owing to the form and quality of the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba.
However, despite Pogba impressing heavily of late, the Frenchman’s future at Old Trafford remains uncertain as he is out of contract in 2022, with this summer representing Manchester United’s last chance of recouping any transfer fee for the 2018 World Cup winner.
In addition, there are also question marks over the futures of Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard, meaning Manchester United could need to bolster their attacking midfield department before the next season. And, Baumgartner, who can play as a No. 10 or a No. 8 can be a viable target for the 20-time English champions.
The four-time capped Austrian international’s contract runs till the summer of 2023. As per the report, he is valued at £16 million, although that could rise before the end of the season. Manchester United are believed to be tracking Baumgartner closely and could launch the offensive for him in the summer transfer window.
Baumgartner is not the only midfielder Manchester United have been linked with of late, with there being some interest in Bayern Munich’s Corentin Tolisso as well. It remains to be seen if the Red Devils do make a move for either of them in the summer, although as things stand, a defensive midfielder would be a more suitable signing for the club.
