The international break may lack the drama, excitement and entertainment of its domestic counterparts but nonetheless, there’s plenty to be learned from nations partaking in a little eleven-versus-eleven duelling, especially from a club perspective.
Indeed, scouts, managers and coaches will be spending the international break running the rule over potential future additions and likely watching as much football as possible in the process.
FootballFanCast think fans should be no different and with that in mind, we’ve taken a look at three lesser-known stars Manchester United fans should be watching out for when France host Ivory Coast at 8pm on Wednesday evening.
Could one, two or even all three end up moving to Old Trafford during the next few transfer windows?
Ousmane Dembele
The Manchester Evening News reported on United’s interest in Ousmane Dembele when he signed for Borussia Dortmund during the summer and his performance against Ivory Coast will give an indication of whether the Premier League club should have pushed harder to rival the Black-Yellows’ deal.
The 19-year-old was phenomenal during his debut senior campaign at Rennes last season, finishing up with twelve goals, five assists and 4.1 successful dribbles-per-match from his first 26 Ligue 1 outings, and has carried that form into his Westfalenstadion tenure – starting with a sensational strike against the Red Devils in pre-season (above).
Jose Mourinho appears unconvinced by his current wide options and Dembele has the potential to fill the void. He looks certain to start against the African outfit, having sat out France’s 2-1 win over Sweden on Friday.
Serge Aurier
Manchester United’s right-back options aren’t the most inspiring, with Mourinho seemingly not keen on Matteo Darmian or Timothy Fosu-Mensah, while Antonio Valencia, currently sidelined through injury, is by no means the most natural of defenders.
PSG’s Serge Aurier, now one of the biggest names in the Ivory Coast line-up, could well be the solution. He’s strong, powerful and quick in typical Mourinho style but uses his physicality to punch holes going forward as well as keeping matters solid at the back.
A spat with Laurent Blanc put his Parc de Princes future in jeopardy ahead of the summer but the 23-year-old has seemingly re-established himself under Unai Emery.
Franck Kessie
19-year-old Franck Kessie is developing quite the following, with a number of sources comparing the Atalanta midfielder to iconic African enforcer duo Michael Essien and Yaya Toure. A star-studded performance against France could give us a hint of whether the teenager has what it takes to follow in the footsteps of those two Premier League title winners and he’s already professed his love for Manchester United, describing them as his ‘favourite team’ back in September.
Mourinho is still trying to find the right formula in the middle of the park and Kessie could prove to be the perfect long-term addition. But is he ready for life at Old Trafford just yet? His outing against Euro 2016 final-reaching France should provide the answer.
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