Manchester United will surely pay very close attention to Bayer Leverkusen defender Odilon Kossounou in tonight’s Africa Cup of Nations final.
The focus for United fans today is the Premier League clash against Aston Villa with a tough clash awaiting Erik ten Hag and co at Villa Park.
United have claimed three wins in the last five Premier League outings and could add to that run with another victory today.
Once United’s game ends, some supporters may switch over to the Africa Cup of Nations final between Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
An exciting tournament comes to an end tonight and there is one player involved who will have the attention of United scouts this evening…
Odilon Kossounou primed for role in Ivory Coast back line
Defender Odilon Kossounou is the man in question and he is pushing for a starting role tonight.
Defeats to Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea in the group stage left Ivory Coast clinging on and in desperate need of improvement against Senegal in the Round of 16.
Bayer Leverkusen ace Kossounou was an unused substitute during the group stage but was brought in against Senegal and helped secure a victory.
Kossounou was then sent off against Mali in the quarter-finals and missed the semi-final win over DR Congo, but is expected to replace Willy Boly for tonight’s final now he is available again.
Kolo Toure has praised Kossounou for a ‘really good’ performance against Senegal and he now has the chance to impress United scouts who already like what they see.
Manchester United surely watching Kossounou tonight
Reports in January indicated that United are looking at Kossounou as a potential summer signing.
The 23-year-old has impressed in the Bundesliga with Leverkusen and tonight’s game seems like a great opportunity for United to have another look.
Kossounou would be coming up against a truly elite striker in Victor Osimhen and will need to shine under the pressure of playing in a tournament final.
That is the kind of testing situation United scouts will want to see Kossounou in and handling tonight’s game – both in terms of the occasion and facing Osimhen – would surely make United even more convinced about him as a potential summer target.
A right-footed defender who can play as a centre back or right back, Kossounou has been praised as ‘really quick’ and a ‘complete defender’.
Kossounou has a chance to show that on the big stage tonight and United will be watching with intent ahead of a possible summer offer.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
