Manchester United are joining the transfer hunt for one of the most talented Championship wonderkids.
Despite the disappointing draw against 20th-place Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rúben Amorim’s side sit level on points with fifth-place Chelsea and three points behind fourth-place Liverpool.
With the club still firmly in the race for Champions League football next year at the halfway stage of the season, every game grows in importance.
However, with Amad, Noussair Mazaroui and Bryan Mbeumo still at AFCON, and the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Matthijs De Ligt and Harry Maguire still out injured, the squad is bare.
With the January window underway, it is no surprise to see that Manchester United are in the hunt for more reinforcements.
United eye up Maamma
From recent reports, the club have made it clear that any player they target in January will be with the future in mind as they look to move away from short-term deals.
Watford’s starlet Othmane Maamma fits that bill.
Signed from Montpellier last summer for £1 million, he has the hallmarks of a brilliant talent. Not only is he a two-footed winger, but he also possesses dribbling ability that will take fans off their seats. Although his talent is raw, he is growing in importance for Javi Gracia’s side.
He also showcased his skills in the recent under-20 World Cup in Chile, where not only was he on the winning side with Morocco, but he also won the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament.
It is not surprising that, according to Graeme Bailey at TeamTalk, United have begun eyeing up the Moroccan winger for a potential move, as scouts were sent to see his performance in Watford’s 3-0 win against Birmingham City.
However, Bailey also noted how the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle United are also in the race to sign the 20-year-old. With the added competition already making the deal complex, Watford also doesn’t plan to sell the winger in January and would only accept a deal they deem too good to refuse.
Right deal, wrong timing
A move for Maamma would be a brilliant acquisition for the club. Being a young, fast and dynamic prospect, he certainly aligns with INEOS’s approach for signing the best wonderkid talent.
However, a deal to bring him to Old Trafford may come too soon for the winger. Although supremely talented, he is still raw and will need time to be nurtured into a mature player.
In the current landscape at the club, unfortunately, time is not something that is easily awarded with the Red Devils needing results and players for now, as well as the future.
Should the club go for the Watford starlet, it might be wise to let him continue to develop at Vicarage Road or elsewhere so that he is prepared for life in the Premier League.
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