Manchester United and Southampton in hunt for Monaco’s Tiemoue Bakayoko

MANCHESTER UNITED and Southampton are on the trail of Monaco’s £4million-rated defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko.

Bakayoko, previously a target for Liverpool, previously played for Rennes but has truly caught the eye since his £3m move two years ago.

The 21-year-old is still regarded as ‘one for the future’ but he enjoyed plenty of game time in 2015-16 and was watched time and again by both United and the Saints.

Bakayoko scored his first goal for  Monaco in February, the winner against Nice.

He followed by netting in the next game against Sochaux in the French Cup.

He also has Champions League experience after coming on as a sub to face Zenit St Petersburg while at Rennes.

“Although there is no balance of power between these two Franco-Ivorian, it seems that the student has, for some time, surpassed the master, in the image of this friendly between FC Paris (where Soualio was evolving at the time) and AS Monaco on 18 July (0-0).

Bakayoko’s brother Soualio plays for FC Paris and, as they are of French-Ivornian decent, there are obvious comparisons with the Toures, Yaya and Kolo.

Souaio had already plumped for the Ivory Coast, but to date Tiemoue has favoured the French youth sides.

And he says:  “I still have time to choose. But I hope one day playing in the same team as my brother. It’s part of my dreams.”

United and Southampton, incidentally, meet in the first Friday night game of the new opening Premier League season on August 19.