Louis Saha believes Manchester United should be looking to raid another of his former club’s in the summer and sign Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye.
The Senegal international joined the Toffees from Marseille nearly two years ago in a £15million deal and has established a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most entertaining players.
Freed from the constraints of Ruben Amorim’s rigid 3-4-3 system, meanwhile, United already appear to have turned a significant corner under interim boss Michael Carrick.
Victories over Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham showcased the full attacking potential of a squad that had been drastically under-performing under the hapless Portuguese manager.
Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo have been two of the main beneficiaries of the decision to ditch Amorim mid-season.
Regardless of who takes up the reigns on a permanent basis in the summer, Saha believes United should be looking to bolster their squad with a player of Ndiaye’s invention and creativity.
He told AceOdds.com: ‘Ndiaye, from the moment he signed, he’s been an amazing talent. I would love to see him, maybe at some point at Man Utd, to be honest.
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‘He’s a very skillful player. I like Ndiaye’s style. Like Mbeumo, he’s comfortable with the ball.
‘His work rate is very good… he’s a bit like a mix of Amad and Mbeumo to be honest.’
A draw at West Ham last time out, secured by a last gasp Benjamin Sesko equaliser, might have halted United’s winning run but the feelgood factor remains intact with Champions League qualification very much within reach.
Kobbie Mainoo’s return to the side has coincided with an upturn in fortunesafter the gifted midfielder was effectively frozen out under Amorim.
One of United’s most promising academy graduates appeared on the verge of leaving his boyhood club in the summer but now looks set to be a vital cog in his side’s engine room for years to come.
A return to the England squad ahead of the World Cup now looks a distinct possibility and Saha has tipped the 20-year-old to force his way back into Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
He said: ‘I think that now Mainoo has found his form, he can get into Tuchel’s World Cup squad. Especially because he plays for Manchester United.
‘He’s got the best platform to do that. He’s been very impressive. Four wins and four very impressive performances, so definitely Tuchel is watching, and he’s got all the talent. He showed that during the Euros.
‘The worry was if he’s not playing and doesn’t have minutes under his belt, it would have been difficult, but he’s doing it now.
‘It’s up to him to score more goals and be more visible. If Manchester United are winning more games and picking up more points, he will have more credit in the bank for sure.’
While he has undoubtedly caught the eye in recent weeks, Saha admits that Mainoo is still far from the finished product and has urged him to add more goals to his game.
He said: ‘Mainoo needs to resettle after all the pressure and talk about his future. His game still needs to improve, and he can improve. He had great performances since coming back into the team.
‘Maybe he can be more aggressive in his attacking, but right now, maybe isn’t the right moment for that. Right now, he needs to find his foundation, and Carrick is trying to do that.”
‘Mainoo is working well with Casemiro right now, and they really compliment each other.
‘Physically, he has shown that he can compete but I would like to see him show his confidence in scoring goals like Scholes, Carrick and Darren Fletcher did and bombard forward. Technically, he is gifted and can score goals.’
