Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly vying to sign Ivory Coast midfielder Ibrahim Sangare from PSV Eindhoven in the summer.
According to Sky Sports, Manchester United have joined Chelsea in the race to sign PSV Eindhoven and Ivory Coast midfielder in the upcoming summer transfer window.
After coming through the ranks at AS Denguele in his homeland of Ivory Coast, Sangare moved to Europe in 2016, when he joined Toulouse. Having spent four years with the French club, the 25-year-old joined PSV in the summer of 2020 and has been a revelation in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Sangare has made 88 appearances for PSV, winning the Dutch Cup and the Super Cup during his time with the club. Capped 17 times by the Ivory Coast national team, the midfielder is likely to move on this summer, with serious interest coming from the Premier League. Sangare has been linked with a move to Liverpool and Newcastle United, with Chelsea and Manchester United now entering the race.
Chelsea are on the lookout for midfield reinforcements amid question marks over the futures N’Golo Kante and Jorginho. The veteran midfield duo is entering the final year of their contracts with the Blues. There have also been concerns over Kante’s durability after the midfielder has missed a number of matches over the past couple of seasons due to injuries.
So, someone like Sangare, who has excelled as the No. 6 for PSV, can be an exciting addition as a long-term replacement at Chelsea. However, the west London club will have to battle their rivals Manchester United for his signing.
Manchester United are also staring at a restructure in their midfield unit, with both Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic set to depart at the end of the month. Scott McTominay and Fred have not been performing consistently enough either, thus accentuating the need for an out-and-out defensive midfielder at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have been linked with a move for Ruben Neves. But, Sangare has also emerged as a target for the 20-time English champions now. Apart from Chelsea and Manchester United, Liverpool are also interested in the 25-year-old, potentially as cover for Fabinho, amidst the advancing years of James Milner and Jordan Henderson.
Newcastle United are another club keeping tabs on Sangare as they prepare to part ways with Isaac Hayden. An enforcer like Sangare in the No. 6 role could help the Magpies unleash Bruno Guimaraes and Jonjo Shelvey next season.
Sangare is contracted with PSV until 2025 and has a release clause worth around €35 million. Whether Chelsea, Manchester United or the other interested parties make a move for the 25-year-old remains to be seen.
