Manchester United are one of the clubs aiming to sign Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumi this summer, according to the Colombian edition of AS.
The Red Devils are eyeing a new central defender with Raphael Varane set to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.
The club have been linked with several names including Jarrad Branthwaite and Leny Yoro, but they are now interested in signing Bologna’s Lucumi.
Lucumi is left-footed, but he can operate in both central defensive positions. He regularly played on the right side last season under manager Thiago Motta.
Bologna reportedly want at least £15 million to sell him, but the price could reportedly rise if there is more interest from the Premier League this summer.
The Serie A outfit currently own 80 percent of his rights with the remaining with Genk
As things stand, Bournemouth are also in the mix for Lucumi. AC Milan and Napoli are among Italian clubs, who are interested in securing his services.
All interested teams may have to wait patiently with Lucumi focused on Colombia’s Copa America campaign. He wants to fully concentrate on that first.
Lucumi would be a brilliant bargain signing
The 25-year-old had a sensational 2023/24 campaign with Bologna. He missed a month with a thigh injury, but he was almost ever-present on his return.
The Colombian star was superb in the heart of the club’s defence with a passing accuracy of 94 percent in Serie A – the highest for any player in the league.
He also won 65 percent of his duels with 1.7 tackles, 2.1 clearances and 4.7 recoveries per appearance.
Lucumi also kept 10 clean sheets in the division as Bologna qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 60 years.
Despite the club’s success, Lucumi has his sights on a new challenge. In our view, he would be a huge bargain signing for United at the price tag reported.
With his ability to play at right centre-back, United can guarantee him regular playing time alongside Lisandro Martinez. The club have the capacity to offer better salary terms than their rivals.
Lucumi is currently on only £16,000 per week at Bologna. The hierarchy could easily quadruple his wages to persuade him to join the club ahead of other suitors.
Stats from Sofascore.com, Capology.com & Transfermarkt.com
