Real Madrid have reportedly made the first contact with Rennes teenage sensation Eduardo Camavinga, according to reports. Manchester United have been linked with the player but it is unknown as to whether the interest is concrete. The Spanish club see Camavinga as the ideal player to sign instead of United midfielder Paul Pogba.
It is suggested that Pogba will remain at United at least for another year because of the coronavirus pandemic and the fact that the UEFA European Championships has been postponed until next summer, which could put the player in the shop window, despite him entering the final year of his contract this summer, although another year could be added.
Spanish news source, AS, has reported that Real Madrid chief scout Juni Calafat has been in touch with the Angolan-born midfielders representatives. The teenager only signed a new contract with Rennes last summer, which would keep him at the French club until the summer of 2022 but reports suggest the player is thinking about leaving.
Los Blancos manager, Zinedine Zidane is said to be a huge admirer of the 17-year-old, which is reason to believe that the club have made the first move for the player – it would make sense, especially in the fact that the club will be seeking to reinforce the midfield during the next transfer window, seemingly getting the squad ready for the new season.
Rennes ended up finishing in third-place in Ligue 1 this season which will put them into the UEFA Champions League next season. This came after the French Government suspended all sporting events until later in the year which ended up cancelling the current Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons. It could also be an opportunity for the player to have a fresh start.
It is suggested that there is no release clause in the contract of the 17-year-old but a price tag of around £52 million has been reported on numerous occasions. However, this was before the coronavirus pandemic stopped world football, so a lesser fee could well be negotiated. Whoever is interested in the player could get a bargain.
The teenager has made a total of 36 appearances for Rennes this season, playing in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Coupe de la Ligue, the Trophée des Champions and the UEFA Europa League. He has scored one goal this season, also adding two assists, playing a total of 2,783 minutes of football before the season was suspended then cancelled.
The Spanish club may have a fight on their hands for Camavinga with United, Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain all said to be interested in the teenager this summer, or whenever the transfer window opens. PSG have seen the player this season when Rennes beat them 2-1 and the player becoming the youngest player to assist a goal in the league.
Camavinga also became the first player born after the 1 January 2000 to play in one of Europes top five leagues after he played against AS Monaco in May 2019. The 17-year-old plays in a position that United need to strengthen in sooner rather than later, also fitting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s age profile with him wanting to build a young team to strive for glory.
