The blockbuster transfer hijack Man United could make to snatch elite winger from Everton's grasp

Manchester United massively underperformed again in the Premier League last season. They finished down in 15th place and need to compete higher up the table next time around. With that in mind, the Red Devils must add more firepower to their squad in the transfer window.

Ruben Amorim will be under pressure to perform from the start. The ex-Sporting Lisbon man was picked as their replacement for Erik ten Hag midway through the last campaign. It has since been a mixed spell for him in terms of results at Old Trafford.

Manchester United should hijack Everton deal for Malick Fofana

Everton are in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Lyon winger Malick Fofana, according to reporter Fabrizio Romano on X. The Toffees are in the hunt for some new faces as they prepare for their first term in their new Hill Dickinson Stadium. David Moyes has done an impressive job since his move back to Merseyside to replace Sean Dyche.

Fofana, 20, will be a useful addition for them and will boost their attacking department. He would be perfect for United though as well as they need to try and hijack the deal. The Red Devils will feel they have more pulling power and should try and tempt him with an alternaive move.

The Belgium international, who has one cap under his belt so far, has been a key player for Lyon since his transfer there in 2023. They could now face a real battle to keep hold of him amid attention from elsewhere. He has made 62 appearances in all competitions for his current club to date and has scored 15 goals, 11 of which came last season.

Fofana started his career at Genk and rose up through their academy. He was a regular at various different youth levels before making the step up into the first-team. The prospect made 64 outings for the Belgian Pro League outfit altogether as a teenager and found the net on five occasions.

Why Malick Fofana would suit Manchester United

Fofana would give United another option to pick from on the wing. He would offer more competition and depth going forward. In addition, he could inject more pace and power into Amorim’s starting XI as they look to improve the standard of their squad.

He is young, has potential to grow and develop down the line and has already played a decent amount of games for someone of his age. It would be a missed opportunity for the Red Devils if he ended up going to Everton and not them.

Like United, the Toffees aren’t in Europe so apart from the fact they may well be able to offer him slightly more game time initially, there is no reason why should link up with Moyes’ men over some of the bigger teams in the division. Lyon have been demoted to Ligue 2 so their chances of retaining his services are next to zero. Nevertheless, they will still want to pick up as much money for him as possible to help boost their financial situation as they aim to get back up to the top flight as soon as they can do.

The Red Devils have to get their recruitment right over the coming weeks. Fofana would fit the bill in terms of potential and it would be worth a phone call to try and turn his head away from Everton. If they can’t get him, they have plenty of time in the window to source alternative options.