Leicester City hope to win the race for Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare and plan to sign the £30 million Frenchman at a knock-down fee, as reported by The Guardian.
With Christophe Galtier’s side flying high at the top of the Ligue 1 table – four points clear of PSG – you could be forgiven for assuming Soumare is in the thick of an unexpected title charge.
After all, the 21-year-old powerhouse is one of the most high-profile members of this Lille squad.
In the past 18 months or so, Soumare has been linked with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Arsenal while, according to The Guardian, AC Milan, Manchester United and Manchester City are all watching closely.
But, believe it or not, Soumare has started just 12 of Lille’s 26 league games in 2020/21.
Clearly the former Paris Saint-Germain youngster has a lot to learn – although his lack of regular game time this season has failed to deter his many suitors.
The Guardian claims Leicester are currently at the front of the queue for Soumare’s signature. And, with his contract due to expire in 2022, Brendan Rodgers’ wily old Foxes hope to snap up one of Europe’s most in demand midfielders for far less than his current £30 million price tag.
A deep-lying anchorman, Soumare is a midfielder in the Wilfred Ndidi role – physically imposing and aggressive without the ball, intelligent and considered with it.
The France U21 international has also been regularly compared to a certain Paul Pogba, earning the nickname ‘Bogba’ during his younger days.
“He has often compared himself to (Pogba),” former teammate Arnaud Luzayadio told France Football.
“He watched a lot of videos for inspiration.”
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