Man Utd and Chelsea identify SHOCK transfer target for problem position

Cameron Smith

• 12 Jan 2024 15:34 CST
• 3 min read

Chelsea, Manchester United and Fulham are all interested in signing Le Havre captain Arouna Sangante, according to recent reports.

The 21-year-old centre-back was included in the Ligue 2 Team of the Year as Le Havre earned promotion last season and has continued his fine form in the top flight of French football.

The Senegalese defender has made 15 appearances in all competitions in 2023-24 and while a centre-back by trade, he filled in at right-back before the winter break.

Sangante was not included in his country’s squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, but his form this campaign has attracted Premier League interest.

In early December, The Sun reported that Fulham were interested in signing the Le Havre star, with a fee of around €17.5 million (£15m) being quoted.

Chelsea and Man Utd want Arouna Sangante

Chelsea and Man Utd have now joined the race to sign Sangante, as per TEAMtalk, with both clubs set to watch him in action against Lyon this weekend.

The Blues recently sold Sangante’s countryman Kalidou Koulibaly to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal and signed France international Axel Disasi as his replacement.

However, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have struggled so far this season and have been linked with several new additions in the January window.

FootballTransfers understand that Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande is set to become a priority target for Chelsea during the summer, while Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen is viewed as the solution to their goal-scoring issues.

As for Man Utd, Erik ten Hag is looking to bolster his backline and the Red Devils are interested in a number of defenders, including Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo.

However, both clubs have reportedly added Sangante to their transfer wish-list as they look for January additions.

Sangante has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €9.5m and he has two-and-a-half years left on his current contract at Le Havre. His ETV at the start of 2023 was just €1.5m.