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EPL giants Manchester United have reportedly entered the race to sign Real Madrid's Achraf Hakimi, according to reports in Spain. The report states that Hakimi is 'seduced' by the project at Old Trafford. The Moroccan full-back is one of the most exciting and attack-minded defenders in the world and has made quite a name for himself in Germany.
After coming up through the ranks of La Fábrica, Hakimi sealed a temporary move to Borussia Dortmund due to lack of game time. The 21-year-old has gone on to become an integral cog in the German side. The Real Madrid man has already racked up ten assists and five goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances this season.
While he was primarily expected to return to his parent club come summer, there have been numerous reports suggesting that he has garnered interest from elsewhere. Several clubs are hopeful of convincing Real Madrid to sell their on-loan defender. Apart from the EPL, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan are also circling the player.
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Tug-of-war between Bundesliga, Serie A and EPL clubs
The German champions are said to have made themselves favourites to land him should Hakimi leave. The Moroccan would cost somewhere around the €60m mark, and the Bavarians are also ready to offer the player a salary of €6-7m a year.
Bayern's right-back berth has been a matter of concern ever since the Philipp Lahm's midfield switch. While Joshua Kimmich showed promise in that position, he also eventually made the switch to midfield. Alvaro Odriozola's loan move hasn't worked out as well as they'd have hoped and this makes a move for Hakimi ideal.
The Red Devils' interest, on the other hand, could be fabricated to help drive up the player's value. The EPL club have spent close to £60m over the last few windows on two players in the same preferred position as that of Hakimi. Although the 21-year-old has played as a left-back in the past, it is unlikely that he'll have to settle playing out of position once again should he move.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is one of the most impressive right-backs in the EPL, while Diogo Dalot is yet to settle in and have a consistent run of games. The fact that their right-back berth is packed makes the EPL club's interest questionable.
Additionally, the full-back area as a whole isn't set to be strengthened significantly by the club ahead of the 2020/21 EPL season. Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams are expected to continue patrolling the left flank while Wan-Bissaka continues to grow into one of the EPL's most reliable right-backs. Dalot could provide the former EPL champions with depth on both sides.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is said to be in the market for a midfielder and wide attacking players as opposed to spending on defenders. Hakimi's colleague Jadon Sancho is the EPL club's priority target for the summer along with Aston Villa and EPL star Jack Grealish. All in all, it appears that the Red Devils are being used for the sake of getting a higher price for the player.
