1st summer signing? Manager confirms Man Utd top target will leave in summer

Manchester United have been given the go ahead to sign Sofiane Boufal from French side Lille in the summer after their manager Frederic Antonetti accepted that it will be impossible to keep him.

The 22 year old Moroccan attacking playmaker has as a future star and Lille fans would be extremely sad to see the player leave, having scored 12 goals in total this season in 45 games and setting up numerous other chances for his teammates.

He made his debut for Lille in 2015 after signing from Angers and has even been capped by Morocco on 2 occasions.

He has a creative flair in attack which has led to many people making comparisons between him and another former Lille player, Eden Hazard. He has been scouted and chased by other teams across Europe and both Tottenham and Manchester City have also expressed interest.

Whether the transfer goes through will probably depend on who is in charge at Manchester United at the start of next season and whether or not they will want the creative midfielder. The price tag might also prove a stumbling block after a series of big money failures at United.

The Lille manager spoke to a French news outlet and said: “We all know that in France we must balance the budget at the end of the season. It is expected that Boufal will be transferred at the end of season. This is part of the DNA of Ligue 1.”