Manchester United are reportedly very ken to bring Jhon Lucumi to the Premier League with scouts working on behalf of the club said to be blown away by his performances at Serie A outfit Bologna.
After Jarrad Branthwaite, Marc Guehi, Giorgio Scalvini, Leny Yoro, Antonio Silva, Goncalo Inacio and more, we can now add another exciting, up-and-coming central defender to Manchester United’s summer wishlist.
Jhon Lucumi, two years after joining Bologna from Genk for around £7 million, could earn the Rossoblu a considerable profit when the window opens again at the end of the current campaign.
Diario AS report that Man United are one of a number of Premier League clubs watching the towering Colombia international, and are even ‘willing to do crazy things’ to fight off competition from a host of domestic rivals.
The report states: “Manchester United are searching the market for players for the centre back position and Lucumi has surprised them.”
Manchester United eye Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi
How highly Lucumi ranks on Manchester United’s list, time will tell. And no player ever comes cheap for the Red Devils.
Bologna would presumably expect that United could stump up a handsome sum for a player who has been plying his trade this side of the Atlantic since arriving in Belgium back in 2018.
The bidding for all of the club’s centre-half targets – Branthwaite, Inacio and co is likely to start at around £40 million.
Lucumi, at 25, is the oldest of the aforementioned septet, and probably the least-heralded too. But after a stellar campaign at Bologna – Thiago Motta’s side are the neutrals’ favourites chasing down a Champions League spot – and Lucumi’s star is on the rise.
Jhon Lucumi: Key facts
- Date of birth: 26/6/1998
- Position: Centre-back
- Current club: Bologna
- Former clubs: Genk, Deportivo Cali
- Contract expires: June 2026
Injury issues for Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez
Left-sided centre-halves are all the rage these days. It should not come as too much of a surprise then to learn that Lucumi, as a natural southpaw, is attracting plenty of attention.
Left-footed and versatile – he has played as a full-back at times while Motta has indicated that he may also have a role in midfield – Lucumi would come in very handy at a Man United side who have missed both Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw for sizeable portions of the current campaign.
Martinez and Shaw, United’s first-choice left-back and left-sided centre-back, are both at risk of missing the remainder of the campaign.
Should Lucumi join, he would become only Man United’s second-ever Colombian player, after Radamel Falcao.
READ MORE: Join the conversation with the United in Focus Whatsapp group
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
