Who is Boubakary Soumare? The Lille midfielder wanted by Man Utd and dubbed the ‘new Pogba’

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 4 min read

Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare has been generating hype for several years now, earning favourable comparisons to Manchester United star Paul Pogba.

What had been a stratospheric start to his professional career, however, has cooled over the last 12 months.

Nevertheless, the former Paris Saint-Germain youth remains a player firmly on the radar of many leading clubs, including Man Utd, who see him as a potential alternative to the World Cup winner.

What position does Boubakary Soumare play in?

As is suggested by the comparisons to Pogba, Soumare is a player who typically features deep in the midfield but is capable of breaking forward to provide a contribution in an attacking sense.

He may not have the eye for spectacular goals like the Man Utd man, but he possesses excellent defensive attributes, good technique and impressive athleticism. This cocktail of skills gives him the potential to be a box-to-box player of some note.

How good is Boubakary Soumare?

Soumare’s career has gone in fits and starts so far. His move to reject professional terms at PSG, the club he supported as a boy, and sign instead with Lille offered him exposure to first-team football.

Over the course of four years with the northern side, he has made 104 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and creating two.

For a period, it seemed he would become essential for LOSC. Over the last year, though, he drifted out of the first-team picture due to a falling out with head coach Christophe Galtier.

At the beginning of the 2020/21 season, he was seen as a luxury replacement in the Lille midfield, where the competition for places is fierce between Renato Sanches, Xeka, Benjamin Andre and Soumare.

He has, however, gradually elbowed his way into the picture at the Ligue 1 challengers.

“His morphology is such that he needs to play successive matches and we know that when this is the case he becomes more and more effective,” Galtier admitted in February.

Having just turned 22, though, time is on his side, although the coach admits that transfer speculation does not do the young midfielder any favours.

“He was very clear with the president: he wants to continue with us,” Galtier said. “Between competition for places and the transfer window, the situation has not always been easy for him, but I think he’s clearer in his head having taken a position.”

Since then, Soumare has struggled a little for game time, and with Lille’s financial situation delicate, it may be the ideal opportunity for him to move on in the summer.

What wants to sign Boubakary Soumare?

Soumare has had a long list of suitors in the past and continues to court a great deal of attention.

If the interest from Manchester United has cooled lately due to the variety of options they have at their disposal in midfield, there are still plenty of other Premier League teams who covet him. Arsenal have also scouted him this year.

Newcastle are one of the clubs most regularly linked with the midfielder, though it would appear that he is destined for greater things than a team that battles against the drop.

Leicester and Manchester City are both linked with Soumare, whose price tag is reported to be €35 million.

From Italy, Milan were close to sealing a move in January and it would be little surprise if their interest was to be renewed come the summer.

When does Boubakary Soumare’s contract expire?

Boubakary Soumare’s contract expires at the end of June 2022.

He signed his present deal with Lille in July 2017, the only contract he has made with the club.

What is Boubakary Soumare’s Instagram?

Boubakary Soumare does not currently have an official Instagram account.

Who is Boubakary Soumare’s girlfriend?

Boubakary Soumare is not publicly dating anyone at present.