Manchester United told to pay at least £40 million to sign 20-year-old Frenchman - Reports

Manchester United have been informed to pay a fee of at least £40 million to secure the services AS Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile, according to The Sun.

Benoit Badiashile is one of the upcoming French defenders currently playing for AS Monaco. The 20-year-old centre-back has been a regular starter for the Ligue 1 side since the 2018-19 season.

He has so far made 105 appearances for Monaco and has contributed three goals and three assists.

Badiashile was in demand during the January transfer market with both Newcastle United and West Ham United interested in signing him. The Magpies even made a £33 million bid for the defender last month but the deal did not go through.

According to the aforementioned source, Manchester United have also joined the race to sign the French U21 international.

The Red Devils were previously interested in Badiashile back in 2020 and even made a £22 million bid. However, they failed to secure their services back then.

United are looking to bolster their defense ahead of the 2022-23 season. There are question marks regarding the futures of Eric Bailly and Phil Jones while Harry Maguire continues to remain error-prone.

However, the Red Devils will not give up on Maguire, whom they signed for £80 million back in 2019 and is also their club captain.

As things stand, the only reliable centre-back in Manchester United's squad is Raphael Varane, who joined in the summer of 2021 from Real Madrid.

It is worth mentioning that Benoit Badiashile has been suffering from recurring hamstring injuries this season. The 20-year-old defender has played just 45 minutes in Ligue 1 since mid-November.

Despite his lack of games, The Sun also reported that AS Monaco expect Badiashile's stock to rise in the coming seasons.

---

Manchester United could lose number of key first-team players in the summer

Manchester United could lose a number of key players at the end of the season on free transfers. As things stand, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani have all entered the final six months of their contracts at Old Trafford.

These departures could prompt the Red Devils to spend a large amount of money in the summer transfer window to bring in suitable replacements.

United have been heavily linked with a move for a new central midfielder to replace Paul Pogba if the Frenchman does leave in the summer.

Manchester United could also be in the market for a new centre-forward. With Cavani expected to leave, and Cristiano Ronaldo already 37 years old, a young forward could be on the wishlist at Old Trafford.