Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly offered £36m for the Lille midfielder, who is also a target for Everton.
Lille starlet Boubakary Soumare has been labelled the ‘new Paul Pogba’ in France, as reported by The Mail.
Thankfully, this is down to his ability to glide through the centre of the park like a knife through butter and carve apart opposition defences with a gloriously weighted through ball, rather than a maddening social media presence or a penchant for a fluorescent haircut.
The 20-year-old might have started just five Ligue 1 games for runners-up Lille last season but a lack of game time has not put off potential suitors who will undoubtedly be intrigued by those comparisons with the £89 million Manchester United superstar and World Cup winner.
According to RMC Sport, Wolverhampton Wanderers have made a £36 million bid which would have seen Soumare become their new record signing.
Everton are interested too, perhaps with the potential departure of Idrissa Gana Gueye in mind.
And, given that it was in Turin where Pogba established himself as one of the world’s most exciting midfielders, it is no real surprise that Juventus are also keeping tabs on the Frenchman’s apparent successor.
But world football is full of ‘new Messis’, ‘new Ronaldos’ or ‘new Roy Keanes’. The vast majority, as Marko Marin or Ryan Gauld will attest to, struggle to live up to those exalted expectations forced rather unfairly upon them at an early age.
So Soumare should focus on himself, his own development, rather than modelling his game on a player as talented as Pogba.
RMC claims that the youngster wants to play for Lille for one more season. And that could be the most sensible decision.
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