Ayyoud Bouaddi is all the rage after becoming a known quantity at this World Cup, but Man Utd should target another breakout star instead.
The search for the perfect midfielder for Man Utd took a pivot recently among fans as Ayyoub Bouaddi became a known quantity at the World Cup.
Bouaddi is undoubtedly a special talent, but United will face the same problem with him as they are with Mateus Fernandes, because a bidding war is bound to happen.
Therefore, what they need to do is zig when everyone zags, and sign a special breakout star perfect for their midfield, not named Bouaddi.
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Christ Oulai’s breakout World Cup tournament
Man Utd fans are watching Ivory Coast’s game closely, and soon, they might have another reason to do so.
Amad is a key player for them, but in defensive midfield, Christ Oulai is doing things that a 20-year-old in his debut World Cup shouldn’t be able to do.
Oulai has played two consecutive top games against elite opposition, showing that this is not a fluke, but a wonderkid raising his level at the highest level of international football.
He played just 13 minutes against Ecuador, but showed enough to earn a start against Germany, where he ran the show despite a close loss.
Signed with Trabzonspor, he played with Andre Onana last season, and if he continues his exploits, he might stay in Turkey for just one season.
Christ Oulai style of play, fit at Man Utd
The sample size with Oulai is small, but he has shown all the traits to eventually be a complete midfielder.
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He is already someone who has the Kobbie Mainoo-like trait of acting as the release valve in a deeper role, as he excels at evading the press and laying it off to his teammates.
Excitingly, he can play long passes and complete switches of play as well, so the raw tools at his disposal already point towards a complete player in possession.
When it comes to out-of-possession stuff, Oulai is guilty of sometimes committing to the tackle too early, but he is a bundle of energy.
He tackles often and can sometimes lack the spatial awareness of snuffing out moves with interceptions instead through smart positioning.
That is, however, a trait that can be taught, because his intangibles are all perfect. He is a diamond in the rough who can be nurtured to become a complete midfielder, next to Kobbie Mainoo.
In terms of a senior comparison, think of him like a more combative Frenkie de Jong if he reaches his ceiling and everything breaks right.
Even as it stands, he can come in and contribute to the midfield because he passes the physicality and mentality test.
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