Manchester United are believed to scouting one of the players currently featuring for their sister club Nice, according to reports.
The Premier League giants are in the midst of a root-and-branch overhaul of Ruben Amorim’s squad on the heels of a woeful 2024/25 campaign.
The Red Devils are set to miss out on European football for the first season since 1981/82 after finishing a staggering 16th in the top flight and losing the Europa League final to league rivals Tottenham.
But with a view to raising their profile next season, the club are already investing heavily in the market.
The first signing of the window came at the start of June with the securing of former Wolves star Matheus Cunha’s signature to the tune of £62.5million.
Amorim will look to pay special attention to signing attacking players in a bid to boost Man United’s limp goalscoring figures, with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Sporting Lisbon’s Victor Gyokeres among the names linked to the club.
Manchester United have reportedly set their sights on Nice midfielder Hicham Boudaoui
Ruben Amorim is keen to bolster his squad options ahead of next season after a troubling term
The Red Devils will look to capitalise on the links between the two clubs via their owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe (left)
But as well as bolstering their attacking ranks, Amorim is keep to beef up his midfield, and the side are thought to be sharpening their interest in a Ligue 1 target.
As per the Sun, the club are believed to have sent scouts to watch Hicham Boudaoui feature in a friendly between his Algeria national team side and Sweden.
The 25-year-old holding midfielder reportedly acquitted himself well during 4-3 defeat in Solna, winning all of his ground duels and even coming close to finding the back of the net in international colours.
Boudaoui has had a fine season for Nice, featuring in 29 of their clashes across all competitions, and is thought to fit the more physical profile Amorim is keen to tempt to Old Trafford.
The player has also been attracting attention from clubs across Europe’s top leagues.
But Man United will likely have the edge in the market, due to Nice being owned by their minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The two clubs are yet to broker a deal between themselves in the transfer market, after both teams qualified for last season’s Europa League.
As part of the agreement that allowed the two teams with shared ownership to compete in the same competition, Man United and Nice agreed to ban transfers for the duration of the European cycle.
Boudaoui has an admirable physical profile and has been in fine form for the French Riviera side
Man United signed their first player of the window in Matheus Cunha for £62.5million
Should Man United make a move for Boudaoui, this could only take place on the final day of the window, September 1, when the statute has expired.
Nice are believed to have placed a £20million price tag on their 25-year-old and Man United are thought to be keen on keeping spending low during the window due to restrictions on their transfer budget.
However, the club have already lodged a £55m bid for Mbeumo – only for it to be rejected by the Bees as £15m less than their expected sale price for the forward.
