Manchester United are keeping close tabs on Al Ahly midfielder Aliou Dieng and are set to scout him ahead of the CAF Champions League semi-final.
According to respected African football journalist Micky Jr, Manchester United are on the hunt for Aliou Dieng. The Al Ahly midfielder has raised a lot of eyebrows with his performances in the Egyptian league, with the player now set to be closely watched by the United scouts in the upcoming CAF Champions League semi-final between Al Ahly against Esperance Tunis.
The Red Devils have already approached CAF, asking for permission to send scouts during the second leg tie in Cairo this upcoming weekend. The allowance could soon be sanctioned, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continues his search for reinforcements in the midfield department.
Manchester United are already looking ahead to the future, especially with Nemanja Matic nearing the final phase of his career. Solskjaer is also keen on adding significant competition for the likes of Fred, Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba, though the latter has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.
In Dieng, Manchester United could get themselves an exciting option, who has made quite an impression in the Egyptian Premier League. The midfielder, in fact, has notched up as many as 76 competitive appearances since joining Al Ahly in 2019.
A holding midfielder by trade, Dieng is primarily known for his physical attributes. He can control the game well in the middle of the park while disrupting the opposition with his tough tackles. In addition, the 23-year-old has a knack for finding forward passes, having registered seven assists with Al Ahly.
Dieng’s robust style of play, combined with his athleticism makes him an ideal fit for the Premier League. There are, however, question marks over his lack of experience in European football while it also remains how much the midfielder could cost. A lot could even depend on Dieng performs in the upcoming game against Esperance, in the CAF CL second leg tie on Saturday.
As far as the alternatives are concerned, Manchester United have been keeping an eye on John McGinn of Aston Villa, although the Scotsman is a more attack-minded midfielder. He is also valued at a whopping £50 million price tag that may deter Solskjaer.
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The Red Devils are already finding it difficult to match Borussia Dortmund’s £77 million price tag for Jadon Sancho, with the Bundesliga giants now even giving them a transfer ultimatum.Should the Sancho deal go through, Manchester United might be forced to scout cost-effective alternatives like Aliou Dieng, so it will be interesting to see how things transpire over the next week or so.
