Man Utd prepare opening offer for €40m signing

11 Jun 2026 15:01 BST | 4 min read

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Manchester United are preparing an opening offer for RC Lens midfielder Mamadou Sangare, according to reports in France.

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The Red Devils have already finalised an agreement to bring Atalanta star Ederson to Old Trafford this summer and they have now added Sangare to their list of transfer targets amid their pursuit of at least two new midfielders to replace Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.

Current ETV

Mamadou Sangaré

M (C)

Lens

Mamadou Sangaré

M (C)

Lens

ETV Range

€11.1M - €13.6M

Sangare made 33 appearances for Lens last season, scoring three goals and providing four assists, and he played a pivotal role as they qualified for the Champions League via a second-place finish in Ligue 1. However, their squad is beginning to be picked apart ahead of the 2026 summer transfer window, and the Mali international could be the latest star to depart.

Captain Adrien Thomasson has completed a move to Stade Rennais, Allan Saint-Maximin has departed upon the expiration of his contract, while head coach Pierre Sage is on the verge of being appointed as Oliver Glasner’s replacement as Crystal Palace manager.

Sangare, who only joined Lens from Rapid Vienna for €8 million last August, has also been earmarked for an exit amid significant transfer interest from multiple top European clubs.

Liverpool are understood to be keeping close tabs on his situation, in addition to AS Monaco star Lamine Camara, while Man Utd have now joined the race to secure his signature when the 2026 summer transfer window opens on 15 June.

That is according to Foot Mercato, who report that Michael Carrick’s side are preparing an offer for the Lens midfielder, who is currently valued at roughly €40m. It’s claimed that “more than a dozen” clubs are interested in signing Sangare this summer, although Lens are yet to receive a formal bid for his signature ahead of the summer window.

Expert Analysis: Who is Mamadou Sangare?

Ligue 1 expert Robin Bairner told FootballTransfers: “Sangare started last season playing for Rapid Vienna but completed a move to Lens in mid-August. Without a pre-season to acclimatise himself in French football, he took some weeks to start showcasing his talents but under the guidance of Pierre Sage he soon started to shine.

"Lens as a club have been known for favouring hard-running, tough tackling and seemingly indefatigable midfielders in recent years. Cheick Doucoure is one such example, and Sangare very much fits that template. He finished second among Ligue 1 players in terms of tackle count last season with 54. However, he has an extra dimension to his game as he is a more capable offensive operator and has a high shot volume even when deployed deep in midfield, ranking 26th for shots across the league with 53 efforts.

"He is an all-action player guaranteed to lend energy to any side, yet he is also ever refining the technical side of his game to offer an attacking threat."

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