Rennes Slash Asking Price for Man Utd & Real Madrid Target Eduardo Camavinga
By Tom Gott
Rennes are considering selling wonderkid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga next summer, with talks over a new deal for the Real Madrid target currently on hold.
The 18-year-old Frenchman enjoyed a breakout season last year, and before the COVID-19 outbreak crippled football's finances, he was tipped to seal a move to Real which could have been worth close to £80m.
That move quickly broke down before it had even begun, leading to talk that Camavinga would actually sign a contract extension on his 18th birthday in November. However, AS note that contract talks are on hold after Rennes sporting director Florian Maurice revealed that Camavinga's father was considering firing his agent, Moussa Sissoko.
Such a revelation has sparked a flurry of interest from some of football's biggest agents, with the likes of Jonathan Barnett, Jorge Mendes, Pini Zahavi and Mino Raiola all pleading their case to the teenager's entourage, Most are promising to secure a blockbuster move away from Rennes for Camavinga.
Alongside Real, Manchester United, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are all said to have expressed an interest in the 18-year-old. Current agent Sissoko is pushing to take Camavinga to Madrid, but it appears as though he may not have much of a say in things for long.
The combination of this speculation, postponed contract talks and a dip in form which many have attributed to all the rumours has left Rennes considering cashing in on Camavinga next summer, with a £45m fee now expected to be enough to get a deal over the line.
While that may seem like a good deal, it might prove a little problematic for Real, who couldn't afford to make any signings during the summer as they are saving up for blockbuster spends on PSG's Kylian Mbappe and Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland, who could cost the best part of £300m combined.
Splashing out an extra £45m on Camavinga may be out of the question unless Real work their magic by selling a few players, but their current financial situation may have opened the door to another of the teenager's suitors.
United have been heavily linked with a move for Camavinga for some time now, and should they sell Paul Pogba next summer as he enters the final year of his contract, they may well have the space and funds to land Camavinga.