Sangare to Man Utd: 'You have to get him' says ex-coach on 'perfect' Casemiro replacement

Mamadou Sangare could be the perfect replacement for Casemiro at Manchester United with a previous coach saying "if there's a chance to get him, you have to get him".

The 23-year-old Malian midfielder from RC Lens was not so long ago drifting through the lower reaches of Austrian football on a series of loan spells.

He came through the Red Bull Salzburg academy before being farmed out to Liefering, Grazer AK, Zulte Waregem in Belgium, TSV Hartberg.

And it was at Hartberg that it clicked for Sangare - enough to convince former Rapid Vienna's head coach Robert Klaus that signing him was, in his own words, a "no brainer."

"When you saw his performances at Hartberg, you didn't have to think for long," Klauß said. "It was clear — if there's a chance to get him, you have to get him."

He described Sangare as the player who "combines both elements" — the defensive and the technical — and praised him as someone who "always has good solutions with the ball."

After one outstanding season at Rapid, where Klaus would later call him simply an "exceptional player," Lens came calling in the summer of 2025, paying £7 million to bring him to Ligue 1.

And less than a year later, United are reportedly preparing a bid of approximately £40 million to take him to Old Trafford.

So what has caught United's eye? Those who have watched him closely describe Sangaré as "a proper box-to-box midfielder with great dynamism and energy," whose "best strength is his ability to cover a lot of ground — getting up and down the pitch and constantly moving."

In a United midfield that has too often lacked legs and intensity, that profile is an obvious fit.

But Sangaré is not simply a workhorse. His tackling statistics ranked among the best in Ligue 1 this season, yet his languid style, excellent vision and passing ability make him an impressive ball progressor too.

That combination of defensive grunt and technical composure is precisely what United have been missing since the prime years of Casemiro.

United scouts have been described as "impressed" by his dominance in duels and his composure under pressure, with one report noting he is viewed as a midfielder whose "physical traits and technical ability could translate well to the demands of English football."

One analyst described him as one of a rare breed of Ligue 1 talents who feel tailor-made for the Premier League, and it is not difficult to see why.

The engine, the reading of the game, the ability to break up attacks and immediately recycle possession — these are qualities that travel.

And with the transfer fee for Elliott Anderson now getting ridiculous with Nottingham Forest having reportedly rejected a £120 million offer from Manchester City, Sangare could be a great option for United.

His Transfermarkt valuation sits well below the reported asking price, which could stretch higher than £45 million due to interest from United and other clubs.

United are not alone in their admiration either, with Chelsea, West Ham and Tottenham all said to be monitoring the situation.