Why Man United signing Eric Ebimbe wouldn’t make a lot of sense
According to French outlet RMC Sport (h/t Daily Star), Man United have made contact with Paris Saint-Germain over a potential transfer for teenage midfielder Eric Ebimbe, who is currently out on loan at Le Havre in the Ligue 2.
The 19-year-old spent the entirety of the previous campaign playing for PSG’s reserve team and also featured as an unused substitute in a Ligue 1 clash against Nantes back in April last year before completing a loan switch to Le Havre.
Ebimbe has featured in 18 of Le Havre’s 20 league games so far this season, scoring twice and assisting once in the process. The report adds that Le Havre would be able to retain the midfielder’s services for another 12 months if they secure promotion to the top-flight.
Born in Stains, France, to parents of Cameroonian descent, Ebimbe started his footballing education at PSG and has already earned two caps for France at the U20 level. The 19-year-old has also impressed for the French heavyweights in the UEFA Youth League but is yet to make his senior professional debut for his boyhood club.
A right-footed versatile midfielder, Eric Ebimbe has been used in a multitude of positions across the pitch, ranging from central midfield to the right side of the midfield and also further up the pitch as a forward.
Meanwhile, Man United are yet to make any new signings in the winter market after a summer of heavy investment that saw the likes of Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James come through the door at Old Trafford.
Much of the goalscoring and creative workload has been shouldered by the likes of Marcus Rashford, Daniel James and Anthony Martial in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s counter-attacking philosophy. With Rashford recently injuring his back (h/t BBC), the manager has some serious issues to resolve before the January deadline.
A lack of depth in the midfield also continues to be a nagging issue, with Paul Pogba barely featuring this term and Scott McTominay currently on the treatment table after a wonderful start to the campaign.
The mediocre displays from players like Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira, Nemanja Matic and Fred have become a norm rather than an anomaly and United need some reshuffling in multiple positions across the middle of the park.
Verdict
That said, it is difficult to see how an unknown talent like Eric Ebimbe would possibly be an upgrade on what they already have at the moment.
Solskjaer’s policy of blooding youngsters in the first-team has paid rich dividends, with the likes of Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams amongst those to have impressed the most in the Premier League this season. However, the Red Devils need to bolster their ranks with some immediate game-changers.
The 19-year-old, who has very little professional experience under his belt, doesn’t tick the box at Old Trafford as a player who could come in and start delivering the goods immediately in the Premier League. Thus, Man United would be better off dropping their interest in Eric Ebimbe for the time being.
