Manchester United has identified Lille playmaker Boubakary Soumare as Paul Pogba’s replacement should they lose the battle to keep the former Juventus star in Old Trafford next summer, according to ESPN.

Soumare, 20, has been impressive this season and his contract is expiring this summer and the Manchester United scouts have been tracking his development.Manchester United is not the only team monitoring the France Under-21 international, many top team teams in Europe are also keen on signing the young midfielder, whose style of play is similar to that of Pogba.The former Paris Saint-Germain star has featured in the Champions League for Lille this season against Valencia and Chelsea respectively.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could give a nod to signing Soumare fellow PSG academy graduate Moussa Dembele in a bid to bolster his attack.Dembele has scored 26 goals in 56 games since moving to Lyon in 2018 from Celtic and may be open to a return to England – where he played for Fulham – in January.