Chelsea ready to battle Manchester United for the next Paul Pogba

Manchester United and Chelsea are accustomed to battling on the pitch, but they’re ready to do battle on the transfer market over Eduardo Camavinga. 

Paul Pogba may still be on the books at Manchester United but that’s not stopping officials at Old Trafford from trying to secure his replacement. The problem for United officials is that Chelsea are also working hard to land Eduardo Camavinga this summer.

According to The Mirror, former Blues keeper Petr Cech is “personally” working hard to push Chelsea to the front of the queue for the talented Rennes starlet. Camavinga’s current contract with the Ligue 1 club is set to expire in 12 months which puts his club under intense pressure to sell him to the highest bidder in the coming weeks.

The 18-year-old starlet could be available for as little as £25 million. That’s an intense bargain for either United or Chelsea. In several years, Camavinga could easily blossom into one of the most productive midfielders in Europe.

Do Chelsea or Manchester United need him more?

United clearly have a bigger need for Camavinga in the short term. Pogba’s likely summer departure puts Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his staff in need of a midfield overhaul. Throwing Camavinga into the fire at such a tender age might be a gamble, but it could be United’s best option given their current predicament.

Chelsea are not under the same type of pressure to sign Camavinga. They can afford to view him as a long-term asset. Thomas Tuchel is interested in giving the French starlet minutes next season, but he can afford to bring him along with more patience.

The real question to answer here is what path Camavinga wants to choose. It’s hard to envision him choosing to move to Stamford Bridge where he might struggle for regular minutes. He’s used to being the main man at Rennes. He won’t immediately reach that sort of status at United, but he would have a strong chance to break into Solskjaer’s starting XI assuming Pogba does leave this summer.

Fans of both Premier League clubs should keep a close eye on Camavinga in the coming weeks. He’s one of Europe’s brightest young prospects and landing him would be a coup for either club. He may not be ready to light England afire right away, but he’s got world-class potential.