The summer window is still months away, yet the battle lines are already being drawn. According to information gathered by GoalZaza, Manchester United...
The summer window is still months away, yet the battle lines are already being drawn. According to information gathered by GoalZaza, Manchester United have entered the race for Hoffenheim's Bazoumana Toure, the 20 year old Bundesliga attacker who has been quietly tearing up the left flank in Germany. Newcastle had been circling for weeks, but Old Trafford's interest threatens to turn this into a full blown bidding war.Toure's numbers this season are nothing short of emphatic for a player his age. Five goals and a dozen assists across all competitions make for a combined 17 goal involvements, a return that screams high potential and, crucially, immediate output. We are not talking about a raw prospect who needs two seasons of loan spells before he can handle the Premier League's pace. This is a young man who has already shown he can deliver in a top five European league, and for a Hoffenheim side that has often had to rely on transitional play to get results.What has caught the eye of United's recruitment team is his tactical flexibility. Toure can operate as a traditional winger, cutting inside onto his stronger foot, or he can drift centrally and link play in tighter spaces. His low centre of gravity and willingness to run at defenders make him a nightmare against a low block, which is something Erik ten Hag's side have struggled to break down on too many frustrating afternoons. Newcastle, of course, will not roll over. They have the Champions League pull and a clear project, but United can offer the sheer weight of history and a wage packet that tends to make young men think twice.There is always a risk with players who explode in a single Bundesliga campaign. Questions remain about his consistency against elite opposition and whether his end product will translate when he is not the main man in attack. But football is a game of calculated gambles, and a 20 year old with 17 goal contributions in a top league is a bet worth taking. If United can hijack this deal, they might just land the kind of dynamic attacker their squad has been crying out for since the post Ferguson years. Squeaky bum time for the Newcastle board.One thing is certain: Bazoumana Toure will not be at Hoffenheim come August. The only question is which colour kit he will be pulling on.
