According to a report by Graeme Bailey on TBR Football, Chelsea and Manchester United are among many other clubs vying to challenge Barcelona in the race for Aboubacar Maiga. The Academie Africa Foot teenager has been monitored by some of the big teams, as he seems destined to leave Mali for a European adventure early in his career.
Premier League sides are always on the lookout for top emerging talents from across the globe. The likes of Chelsea and Manchester United have stepped up their project of acquiring youth stars from everywhere to nourish their younger teams as well as plan for the future.
The two Premier League giants are now vying for Academie Africa Foot talent Aboubacar Maiga, with the 15-year-old wonderkid compared to Lionel Messi. He has already made a mark with some impressive performances.
He has drawn comparisons with Messi for his creativity, dribbling and how he reads the game. Maiga usually plays attacking midfield and operates with both feet, thus making him an interesting prospect to develop.
Manchester United are already looking at younger talents, for instance Argentine defender Franco Mastantuono, to build for the future, while they have tied up deals for other young players.
Chelsea are known to target young talents, and they have shown the knack of paying top dollar, as their deal for Geovany Quenda indicated given they paid a hefty fee for the Portuguese teenager. Hence the Blues should not be underestimated in chases like the one for Maiga, although the London outfit as well as Manchester United faces a huge stumbling block in the form of Barcelona.
Barcelona are seen as the favourites to sign Maiga in the summer, as they have fantastic relations with Academie Africa Foot. The Blaugrana did sign one of their talents Ibrahim Diarra, who has been shining for Barcelona-B.
Hence, the Catalan giants have a strong foothold in this chase, as they could have a case to sign the 15-year-old wonderkid ahead of the many rivals chasing him including Manchester United and Chelsea. However, that is not to say the English sides have no chance, as those teams could potentially make headway in the race with attractive terms.
