Eduardo Camavinga reminds Paul Pogba of himself, has been branded ‘perfect’ by ex-Premier League ace, replaced N’Golo Kante on France debut – and already has a stadium named after him!
Manchester United are considering a move for France wonderkid Eduardo Camavinga and it should come as no surprise.
He’s been on the seen for the last three seasons in Ligue 1 and yet is still just 18 years old.
Getty
It’s astonishing really, and with Rennes he was even playing Champions League football last term.
He’s, without doubt, one of the hottest prospects in the game and Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may just add him to his midfield collective this summer.
Camavinga’s exceptional rise even sees him with a stadium named in his honour already at the CF2L academy, near Fougères, where he grew up.
But what else do we know about the United target? talkSPORT.com takes a look.
What’s the deal?
According to French outlet RMC, Man United are ready to meet with Camavinga’s representatives as soon as next week as they consider a transfer.
Rennes could well be open to allowing their starlet to leave the club as next year he might leave on a free transfer when his contract ends but it seems they may want as much as £100million for his services.
Camavinga’s agent Jonathan Barnett discussed his client earlier this year and believed he could be one of the biggest movers on the market.
“It is going to be harder. I’m expecting three or four very big deals of my own that will break a lot of records,” he told the Athletic.
“Hopefully, they’ll come about. For the smaller clubs, I think there won’t be as many transfers. We have some very good players.
“We have probably the best young player in the world in Camavinga. We’ve got [Jack] Grealish. We’ve got [Ibrahima] Konate at Leipzig. But then I’ve got over 100 players.”
Grealish is currently edging towards a transfer to Man City which could be worth £100m, while Konate has already joined Liverpool this summer.
Getty Images
Club career so far?
When you say Camavinga has only two full seasons to his name with Rennes, it’s easy to forget that he’s just 18.
Last season he managed 35 Ligue 1 appearances, grabbing one goal and one assist – the same output as in his previous campaign.
Goals and assists, though, are not his bread and butter.
Playing in central midfield, Camavinga does much of his work off the ball with his pressing and tackling.
On the ball, the left-footed youngster is adept at retaining possession thanks to his press resistance and his passing, while his dribbling has improved too.
Getty
International experience?
He may have been born in Angola but Camavinga has lived in France since the age of two.
He made his Under-21 debut for Les Bleus just days after obtaining citizenship in November 2019, aged 17.
Camavinga has four appearances for the junior side but then made his senior international debut last year, becoming the youngest player to be called up to the French national team since 1932.
He made his debut in a Nations League game against Croatia on September 8, 2020, replacing N’Golo Kante in a 4-2 win.
A month later he would score his first goal in 7-0 victory over Ukraine, his effort was an overhead kick inside the box.
And now he will represent his nation at the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
AFP
What is being said about him?
Let’s start off with the man himself.
Back in September, with rumours already swirling, he said: “Certainly when a big club is interested, it is nice. But I am not getting carried away.
“I took this choice with my family [to stay at Rennes]. We are happy to have made this decision. I just need to focus on football and not think too much about everything else around it.”
Meanwhile, Camavinga revealed one of his football idols in 2020: “I am inspired by Paul Pogba, an excellent player who has a huge career.”
Getty
Agent Barnett is clearly fond of the player and he’s had plenty to say about his incredible maturity.
“Camavinga can play next year in the Premier League,” he said.
“He is that good. Whether he will or not, I don’t know.
“His background is tough if you know what he went through as a refugee. But his character is amazingly strong.
“He is not your average 18-year-old. Playing in front of 100,00 people is not going to scare him.
“He’s a lovely boy and I think he’s going to be a superstar.”
Getty
Former Rennes academy director Landry Chauvin told Bleacher Report what makes the youngster so good.
“He has this simplicity that brings the ball to life,” Chauvin said. “He touches the ball as much as anyone else, but sparingly. He doesn’t need to carry it. He passes the ball, he makes himself available; he passes, he makes himself available.”
Ex-Newcastle and Paris Saint-Germain star Hatem Ben Arfa told ESPN in 2019 all about his former teammate.
“He was incredible,” he purred. “Technically and physically, he is a monster. Everything he does is perfect.
“For me, he is the modern midfielder by definition. There is nothing he can’t do. He can defend, tackle, head the ball, create, score, assist. He is powerful but gifted technically with his left foot. He is intelligent, elegant. You would have rarely seen a player like him at his age.”
AFP
Meanwhile, Camavainga’s idol Pogba has also had his say and he sees something of himself in the wonderkid.
He said: “It is a pleasure to see him don the shirt. To score after his first starts, that is honestly wonderful. I was truly happy for him. I only wish him the best and much more. He has everything for that. His future is in his hands.
“He is very at ease, he is a little dancer. He makes me think a bit about me. He is not a timid person. It is good, because he is confident. He has confidence in his qualities. He is a very good youngster, I like him enormously.”
June 29, 2021 at 06:45PM Premier League Football Fixtures and Results - talkSPORT https://ift.tt/3u9h8Xr
Comments
Post a Comment