Manchester United‘s search for a new holding midfielder goes on, and the latest reports suggest they will pursue a current World Cup standout. Michael Carrick has a few needs to address this summer, and business has been relatively slow so far, although that is not abnormal during a World Cup summer.

Ederson has been snapped up from Atalanta, but the Red Devils still want to find a more natural replacement for Casemiro, who left the club at the end of his contract. Wherever you look at the top of the game, teams are able to call upon elite holding midfielders, so it’s not a position United can fail to address.

Tottenham managed to win the Mateus Fernandes race, but United may go even younger in their midfielder search.

Man Utd now considering World Cup sensation

Burt Granofsky/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA

According to GiveMeSport’s Ben Jacobs, United have now muscled their way into the race to sign Morocco star Ayyoub Bouaddi, who has emerged as one of the brightest young talents at this World Cup. Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for the 18-year-old this summer, but the race is not over.

The midfielder’s current club, Lille, are said to be asking for €80million this summer, which works out at around £68.5million. More than one club could agree to that fee this summer, giving Bouaddi a pick of clubs.

At just 18 years of age, Bouaddi has gone head-to-head with some of the top midfielders in the world this summer, including Casemiro, and he has looked very comfortable in a Morocco side that asks a lot of midfielders. The African nation play a brand of football that asks midfielders to win back the ball and drive forward quickly, playing with a rapid transition.

The question for United will be whether they feel as though Bouaddi is ready to play week-in, week-out at Premier League level. The Red Devils are only going to sign one midfielder for that kind of money this summer, so they need to be sure about their target being a ready-made starter.

Bouaddi compared to France legend Kante

via Reuters

Morocco boss Mohamed Quahbi has said of Bouaddi this summer: He plays with a lot of maturity and class. He’s the type of player that I always love having in my team. He always plays with his head up and carries himself with real authority. He’s a modern player and is super intelligent – it’s a pleasure to be able to work with him.”

Elsewhere, BBC pundit and former Arsenal and France striker Olivier Giroud has said: “He is a complete player and can perform several roles. He moves everywhere on the pitch. He is a little like Kanté.”

It was one of the most thrilling match-ups of the World Cup so far, but few would have predicted it. Reigning champions Argentina took on tournament debutants Cape Verde and were pushed to their limits.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring with his seventh goal already this summer, but Cape Verde were able to take the game into extra-time thanks to Deroy Duarte’s leveller. Lisandro Martinez once again put Argentina into the lead, but their opponents responded with a stunning goal via Sidny Lopes Cabral.

It looked as though it could go to penalties, but Messi’s corner was flicked in by Cristian Romero, although his effort went down as an own goal after hitting Diney Borges on its way in. Cape Verde were unable to score again, with Argentina holding on for the 3-2 win.

Messi’s Post-Game Chat With Vozinha

REUTERS/Marco Bello

For those watching the game, it felt like the true battle was Messi vs Vozinha, with the heroic Cape Verde goalkeeper thwarting the football legend on multiple occasions. In particular, he stood large to block the Argentines’ right-footed strike when through on goal, while he also made a couple of fine saves from free-kicks, including one which was taken quickly in a cheeky attempt to catch Vozinha out.

After the game, footage circulated online of the pair sharing a moment on the pitch and the 40-year-old goalkeeper has now revealed what Messi said to him during their embrace. As quoted by Yahoo!Sports, Vozinha explained:

Messi Praises Cape Verde After World Cup Meeting

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports via REUTERS

It’s interesting that Vozinha wanted to make sure he could get his hands on Messi’s shirt after the game, as he wasn’t the only Cape Verde star who wanted a moment with the Argentiian icon. Indeed, in the mixed zone after the game, following the 39-year-old’s interview, a handful of Cape Verde players were seen waiting for the footballing great as they asked for a photo.

Messi was more than happy to oblige, with footage of the moment going viral online. He then spoke about how much respect he had for his opponents, praising their display:

“Honestly, we already knew this was going to be a very difficult match. It wasn’t a coincidence that this team didn’t lose to Spain or Uruguay. Scoring the first goal was the hardest part, and we thought it would help us control the game and play with more calm, but the exact opposite happened.

“We lost possession at times, dropped a little too deep, and couldn’t press them the way we wanted. They took advantage of their strengths and found the equaliser. We knew this was always going to be a complicated game.

“These are knockout matches, nobody gives you anything for free. Some people might underestimate certain teams because of their names, but we knew this was never going to be an easy match. That’s what makes this World Cup so special. Everything is incredibly close, and every single game is extremely difficult.”

Zinedine Zidane has every right to be considered the greatest midfielder football has ever seen. The France and Real Madrid legend was elegance personified at his absolute best, winning every major team honour available to him, as well as claiming the highly-prized Ballon d’Or in 1998.

His achievements for club and country have secured his place among football’s immortals, with the two-footed sensation leaving a lasting mark on the global game. Virtually every midfielder who ever crossed paths with him held him in huge esteem. Because of his standing in the sport, praise from Zidane carries enormous weight whenever he chooses to speak glowingly about another player.

That was exactly the case when Zidane described one of England’s finest talents as ‘the best in the world’ back in 2009. Making the compliment even more striking, two of football’s all-time greats – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – were already operating at an extraordinary level at that point.

Zinedine Zidane Believed England Star Was Better Than Messi & Ronaldo

Zidane was referring to Liverpool icon, Steven Gerrard. The all-action midfielder was outstanding as the Reds eliminated Zidane’s former side Real Madrid from the Champions League 5-0 on aggregate in 2009. Later that year, the French great hailed the England international as the best on the planet:

Ronaldo had won football’s biggest individual honour – the Ballon d’Or – the previous year, while Messi went on to collect the prize in 2009. The pair were just beginning a rivalry that would see them battle to be recognised as the greatest player ever for more than a decade, but Zidane still put Gerrard above them, adding:

Expanding on the qualities Gerrard brought to the club he grew up supporting, Zizou added: “He has great passing ability, can tackle and scores goals, but most importantly, he gives the players around him confidence and belief. You can’t learn that – players like him are just born with that presence.”

Gerrard’s Reaction to Zidane’s ‘Best in the World’ Praise

Years after Zidane first delivered that compliment, Gerrard was asked about it during an interview with Rio Ferdinand. When asked if he knew who had said those words about him, he immediately replied: “Zidane, because I’ve read that quote about a million times.

The admiration between the two iconic midfielders is obvious. There was even a possibility that they could have played together at Real Madrid, had Gerrard not remained fiercely loyal to Liverpool during a career that eventually saw him make more than 700 appearances in the famous red shirt.