Man Utd poised to battle Liverpool for five-goal LaLiga star with tempting €30m clause this winter | OneFootball

Manchester United have joined Liverpool in the race for highly-rated Real Betis winger Assane Diao, according to reports from Spain.

The 18-year-old has been in good form for the LaLiga club this season and several high-profile European sides are considering a move for him.

After a rapid progression through the youth teams, Diao made his first team debut for Real Betis in September in the Europa League against Rangers FC.

He then made his first LaLiga appearance against Real Betis’ rivals Granada. He has already appeared for Spain at youth team level, and a call-up to the under-21 side looks to be on the cards.

The winger has made five appearances for Real Betis to date, scoring an impressive three goals in the process.

Diao has a contract with Real Betis that runs until the summer of 2027. But, there is a release clause in his deal worth €30m (approx. £26m).

As previously reported by TEAMtalk, it is believed that Liverpool are ‘ready’ to trigger this clause as they eye a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, who has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia for several months.

It now seems, however, that Man Utd could join bitter rivals Liverpool in the race for Diao this winter.

According to reports from Spain, Erik ten Hag is keen on ‘bolstering his attack’ and has set his sights on signing the Real Betis youngster.

Man Utd have endured a difficult start to the season. They have won just four of their eight opening Premier League matches, leaving them in 10th place in the table, trailing league leaders Tottenham and Arsenal by eight points.

One of their biggest problems has been a lack of goals. Marcus Rashford has scored just one goal so far this term. Alejandro Garnacho has also netted once, but other wingers Antony and Facundo Pellistri have so far failed to score.

Jadon Sancho, on the other hand, has been banished from the Man Utd first team after a fall out with Ten Hag. He will not be allowed to return to the squad until he apologises for his social media outburst, in which he claimed that had been made a ‘scapegoat’ by his manager.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see Man Utd looking to bring in a new winger in January, but as mentioned, they will face competition from Liverpool for Diao.