Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Athletic Bilbao star Oihan Sancet, as per Caught Offside.
After coming through the Basque club’s youth system, the 24-year-old made his senior debut for the club back in 2019 before establishing himself as a key player for them in recent times.
The midfielder has enjoyed a promising start to this season, scoring four goals in nine league starts. Bilbao are currently sixth in the La Liga table with 20 points from 13 games and are in line to qualify for European football next season.
Caught Offside states that following Sancet’s recent promising performances at San Mamés, Man Utd have registered their interest in securing his service.
He has a £67m release clause in his current contract and his existing deal will run until 2032. Therefore, United will have to put together a large sum to lure him to Old Trafford.
Sancet to Man Utd
However, the report says that Aston Villa are also keen on signing him and are currently the frontrunner to get the deal done. They are even preparing to make a significant offer to beat the Red Devils in this race.
Therefore, Ruben Amorim’s side will have to put their best efforts in to overcome Aston Villa’s challenge to sign the midfielder.
After becoming the new United boss, Amorim has made it clear to the club’s hierarchy that he wants players – who would be able to play in his high-intense style of football.
Sancet, standing at 6ft 2in tall, is an energetic midfielder and is efficient in pressing the opposition high up the field. Ernesto Valverde has been playing with a similar style at San Mamés Stadium.
The 24-year-old is an attacking midfielder by traits but is also comfortable in the box-to-box role if needed. He is technically sound, good in the air and has an eye for long-range passing.
However, the £67m price tag could be an issue to get the deal done as he hasn’t displayed his qualities at the highest level consistently enough to prove that he is worth that much.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see whether the record Premier League champions eventually make a concrete approach to sign Sancet to reinforce the midfield department.
