Man United may be forced to pay Sunderland £100m to seal Noah Sadiki transfer
Sunderland star Noah Sadiki is increasingly in demand as the January transfer window ticks down.
Not much was expected of Regis Le Bris‘ side following their promotion to the Premier League last summer, but right now, Sunderland are almost safe from relegation.
Much of that has been down to Sunderland spending more than £160million on summer transfers, with the ninth-placed Black Cats currently 16 points above the bottom three.
Sunderland confirmed the arrival of winger Jocelin Ta Bi over the weekend after beating Celtic to his signature, but it seems they may have to fend off suitors for one of their rising stars.
Sadiki has been linked with a Sunderland exit despite only signing for the club for around £15million from Union SG last summer.
But whether or not Sunderland would even entertain offers for the 21-year-old is another matter entirely.
Sunderland dig heels on Man Utd target Noah Sadiki
While Sunderland may be prepared to let academy star Dan Neil leave, the same can not be said for fellow midfielder Sadiki.
Although Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka has been one of the signings of the season, Sadiki has been an excellent acquisition, too.
And according to The Sun, Man United are keeping tabs on the DR Congo international as they try to overhaul their midfield this summer.
Reports suggest the Red Devils are even prepared to offer Uruguay international Manuel Ugarte in a player-plus-cash package.
However, the report states that no matter what United come up with, all offers will be ‘swiftly knocked back’ by the Stadium of Light side.
If the Premier League giants cannot secure Sadiki’s signature, with the midfielder’s contract running until 2030, they may push ahead with an expensive Brighton star instead.
Sadiki outshining top Man Utd transfer target
Earlier this month, The Sun also reported that United were growing increasingly confident of signing Brighton’s Carlos Baleba this summer.
The Red Devils tried and failed to sign the Cameroon international at the start of this season, but baulked at their price tag of upwards of £100m.
However, his form has dropped off since then; therefore, United are said to be hopeful of securing him for a smaller fee.
The 22-year-old’s contract at the Amex runs until 2028, which puts them in a strong position, but their hand may have been weakened by Baleba’s mixed performances this season.
If he is valued at around £100m, then, arguably, Sadiki should cost a similar amount – if not more.
| Noah Sadiki’s season | Carlos Baleba’s season |
| Tackles won and interceptions: 20 and 13 | Tackles won and interceptions: 15 and 12 |
| Fouls drawn and fouls committed: 21 and 14 | Fouls drawn and fouls committed: 10 and 21 |
| Playing time: 17 matches, 1502 minutes completed, 13 games finished | Playing time: 17 matches, 921 minutes completed, one game finished |
United have an ageing midfield of Bruno Fernandes, 31, and Casemiro, 33. They need young, quality players in the centre of the park going forward.
But the fact that they have set themselves up to sign the expensive Baleba may give rival clubs the impression that they will pay through the nose to sign top midfield talent.
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