United target Lens midfielder Sangare for £35m as Alex Scott route opens up

Manchester United are targeting Lens midfielder Mamadou Sangare with a reported £35m bid, as the club’s summer overhaul of their midfield gathers pace ahead of the new season.

Sangare in United’s sights

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, United are prepared to table an offer worth £35m for the 23-year-old, though the final fee could ultimately rise higher. Sangare joined Lens from Austrian side Rapid Vienna last summer and made an immediate impression in Ligue 1, earning a reputation as one of the division’s standout performers.

United’s interest is described as the ‘most serious’ among the clubs linked with the midfielder. The reported valuation places Sangare among the more affordable options United are currently being tipped to pursue, and the move appears to fit manager Michael Carrick’s stated preference for lower-profile recruits who match a specific tactical blueprint.

Lens face a turbulent summer of their own. Despite finishing second in Ligue 1 and winning the Coupe de France for the first time in the club’s history, they are set to lose head coach Pierre Sage, who has agreed to take over at Crystal Palace following Oliver Glasner’s departure. Sangare could follow his former manager out of the door.

Alex Scott route clears

Separately, a potential move for Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott has been given a boost after Scott was included in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for pre-World Cup warm-up fixtures in the United States. Players called into the camp who are not expected to feature in Wednesday’s match against Croatia are set to return to their clubs, which could free Scott up to focus on his club future ahead of the transfer window.

United had also been linked with Newcastle’s Elliot Anderson, but the club are now expected to move on from that pursuit and concentrate on other targets, with Sangare and Scott among those under consideration as Carrick looks to reshape his midfield options this summer.