Manchester United were reportedly considering a move for Mamadou Sangare before he joined Brentford.
Sangare has been deemed one of the most exciting new arrivals in the Premier League amid an impressive start at the Gtech Community Stadium. Dominant performances in midfield have helped the Bees remain unbeaten with an emphatic 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur and a 1-1 draw against Leeds United.
Manchester United entered the summer transfer window with a focus on rebuilding the midfield following Casemiro's departure. Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and Carlos Baleba arrived, but the club is thought to have been keeping an eye on Sangare.
Manchester United Eyed Mamadou Sangare
Sangare joined Brentford from French outfit Lens in a club-record £39 million deal. He joined the west Londoners in early August and has already become one of the first names on Keith Andrews' teamsheet.
According to Rob Dawson of ESPN, United had been monitoring Sangare closely, and data analysis indicated that his numbers were comparable to Matheus Fernandes' at West Ham United. The Portuguese midfielder was a concrete target but joined Tottenham for £85m.
With the Red Devils choosing not to increase their interest in the 24-year-old, he and his representatives decided to head to Gtech. Whether Michael Carrick's transfer chiefs will live to regret their decision remains to be seen, but he's certainly made an impact in English football.
ESPN even suggests Sangare may already be winning the race to be named the Premier League's 'Signing of the Season'. Andrews is also excited about the Malian and spoke highly of his start:
"He's settled in really well. Again, it's pre-season so you don't want to get too excited, but the cohesion he brings to an already-talented midfield, we're really happy with him."
Sangare is an all-action box-to-box midfielder whose stock has grown in European football. He finished last season with three goals and four assists in 39 games for Lens and he's already registered two assists in three games for Brentford.
Red Devils Midfield Rebuild Made Sense
United will be putting their trust in their three midfield signings all helping Carrick build on last season's third-placed finish. Tielemans, 29, arrives as the experienced option, having been crucial under Unai Emery at Aston Villa over the years.
Santos, 22, joined United after struggling for game time at Chelsea but he showed glimpses of promise at Stamford Bridge. He boasts a versatile profile that could come in handy as the season progresses.
The most likely new arrival to be the Reds' answer to Sangare is Baleba who on his day can dominate any opposition midfield. While he endured a difficult past season at Brighton, the Cameroonian is a huge talent who could anchor Carrick's midfield for years to come.
