Manchester United Transfer News: Sadio Mane Wants Move, Aleksandr Kokorin Eyed

Southampton winger Sadio Mane is keen on making a move to Manchester United this summer, despite his club’s insistence the winger is not for sale.

As reported by Simon Jones, Mike Keegan and Sam Cunningham of the MailOnline, the Red Devils dropped out of the race for Barcelona winger Pedro and are now pursuing other targets. Their article claims the Senegal international is one of them, is keen on making a move to Old Trafford and “talks will progress over the coming days.”

It’d certainly be a surprise transfer, as Mane has been pretty hit-and-miss since arriving on the south coast last summer. But as we can see here courtesy of WhoScored.com, he is a player who attracts a lot of attention from defenders:

In addition, the 23-year-old fits the bill when it comes to manager Louis van Gaal’s defined criteria of “speed and creativity,” per Joe Bernstein of the Mail on Sunday. Mane carries the ball very well, has skilful feet and is capable of beating defenders inside and out. 

But there are big question marks about whether or not this vibrant talent has the guile and composure that’d see him thrive for an elite team. After all, occasionally Mane does seem to let a match pass him by, while his final ball is often erratic and his work rate is questionable, too.

It’s a potential signing that certainly hasn’t triggered too much excitement in Bleacher Report’s Nick Akerman:

A Southampton source quoted in the aforementioned article has suggested that Mane is a “key part” of the team and will not be sold as a result. For Saints to replace a player with so much dynamism would be tough at this late stage of the window; for the player’s own sake, another season developing on the south coast would be to his benefit, too.

In addition, it’s a move that would reek of desperation from United after missing out on Pedro. Mane would bring plenty of attributes to this team, but he’s not a major upgrade on their current options and certainly not a winger who will expedite the Red Devils’ route back to the summit of English football.

United Interest in Aleksandr Kokorin Confirmed

The agent of Dynamo Moscow striker Aleksandr Kokorin has confirmed that both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are keen on the player.

“Right now I'm working on Kokorin's transfer,” Cyril Loginov said, per TASS (h/t Marc Williams of the Daily Star. “United and Tottenham are interested in his services. There are many reasons to think that it will [happen] in one of two teams before August 31.”

Here’s a look at why Kokorin has been targeted by some of the Premier League’s biggest names:

The Russian is a well-rounded forward. Not only does he possess a sharp turn of pace, but Kokorin can hold the ball up, bring others into play and drop off the front to link with the midfield. He’d certainly add something different to United’s forward options, which currently consist of an out-of-form Wayne Rooney, an out-of-favour Javier Hernandez and an untested James Wilson.

As noted by sports journalist Jonas Giaever, the 24-year-old was once rated very highly but has failed to kick on:

Joining United might stir something in him, though. Kokorin is a player who often seems as though he needs to be jolted into life, and while he hasn’t set the world alight at Dynamo, the bright lights of Old Trafford would surely serve as a major motivational tool.

Kokorin wouldn’t cost massive amounts and wouldn’t be too displeased playing deputy to Rooney initially, either. It’s that kind of player the Red Devils need to add depth to the centre-forward options, and if a transfer can be finalised, it’d be very intriguing to see how the Russian international would fare in the Premier League.