Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham to battle for Malian “midfield gem”

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Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham are keen on Lens midfielder Mamadou Sangare. Sangare has caught the eye of several top European clubs, and the Premier League trio are understood to have sent scouts to watch the player.

The 23-year-old has been identified as a player who would adapt well to football in England due to his technical ability and physicality. Sangare joined Lens for £7 million from Rapid Wien just last summer, but TeamTalk has reported that it is now only “a matter of time” before an approach is made for his services.

The player is set to represent Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations this month, but could be available to wrap up a deal once the tournament ends on 18 January. United in particular are known to be in the market for midfielders.

Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson and Carlo Baleba are three names understood to be on United’s shortlist alongside Joao Gomes and Noah Sadiki.

Sangare has now been added to this list. The player has made 14 starts and one substitute appearance for Lens in Ligue 1 so far this season, scoring one goal and providing one assist.

Surprise package Lens are at the top of the Ligue 1 table with 37 points, a point ahead of second-placed and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain. Sangare is developing into one of French football’s brightest stars for his physical traits and technical ability.

Lens would make a hefty profit on the player, as they invested just £7m to sign him from Rapid Wien. Sangare has a reported value of over quadruple that figure, and it is understood a deal could develop quickly once the player returns from international duty.

Chelsea and Tottenham are also in search of midfield reinforcements. Chelsea are looking for more depth behind Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, while Tottenham could look to replace Yves Bissouma.

Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.