Barcelona in the picture: an Algerian talent on Manchester United's radar | Goal.com
Manchester United have opened a file on a new talent in France, one of the names the club is following closely, at a time when the JJ Gabriel crisis continues to cast its shadow over the club's plans regarding rising talents.
According to "TEAMtalk", United's scouting department have done extensive work tracking Mezian Mesloub, a 16-year-old Portuguese of Algerian origin, who quickly caught the eye with Lens' first team.
The interest in Mesloub does not mean United have accepted Gabriel's departure. Management are still working to persuade the youngster to stay, but transfer officials are studying other options in anticipation of various scenarios.
Mesloub broke into Lens' first team last season. He scored just seconds after coming on as a substitute against Nantes, sealing a 1-0 win and qualification for the Champions League.
He has kept the attention coming this season. Mesloub became the youngest player in Lens' history to feature in the Champions League, and he left his mark during the 3-2 win over Slavia Prague, helping create two goals in the final minutes.
An attacking midfielder by trade, Mesloub tends to drift to the right wing. His technical ability, his dribbling, his passing and his work in the final third have drawn interest from a number of major clubs.
United are not alone in the race, according to the same source. Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco are all tracking the player, according to reports circulating about his future.
United's move comes as the club tries to deal with Gabriel's situation, after he requested the cancellation of his registration with the team. That prompted management to move on two parallel tracks: trying to keep the English talent, and monitoring other names in the young players' market.
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