Why Manchester United decided against signing Mamadou Sangare before £41m Brentford move

Manchester United closely monitored Mamadou Sangare before his club-record £41million move to Brentford, but the midfielder’s desire for guaranteed first-team opportunities reportedly played a major role in why a move to Old Trafford was never seriously pursued.

United conducted an extensive midfield rebuild during the summer, eventually signing Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba.

However, Sangare was another player under consideration after impressing at Lens.

According to ESPN, United’s recruitment department had been tracking the 24-year-old and their data analysis produced particularly encouraging results.

Sangare’s numbers from last season were reportedly compared favourably with Mateus Fernandes, another midfielder United considered before he eventually joined Tottenham from West Ham.

Despite those assessments, United did not make a decisive move for Sangare.

Instead, the Mali international joined Brentford in a club-record £41m transfer and immediately made an impression, earning man of the match on his Premier League debut against Tottenham.

The reasoning behind Sangare’s decision reflects an increasingly important recruitment challenge for the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

According to the report, United have encountered situations where agents believe their young clients are better served joining a mid-level Premier League club first.

At Brentford, Sangare could expect considerably more regular first-team football. The strategy is to establish himself in England before potentially securing a major transfer later in his career.

There are already prominent examples of that pathway.

Moises Caicedo developed at Brighton before Chelsea paid £115m for him, while United’s new midfielder Baleba followed a similar route. Brighton bought Baleba for £23m in 2023 before United eventually signed him for £65m plus £5m in add-ons.

Jamie Redknapp believes Brentford could eventually benefit enormously from taking the gamble on Sangare.

“The best business I like is Sangare at Brentford,” Redknapp said.

“I think he’s going to be a wonderful signing for them. He’ll probably be worth £120million in a few years.”

For United, Sangare therefore represents an interesting case. Their recruitment department identified his potential, but Brentford could offer something Old Trafford could not guarantee: immediate prominence and a clear pathway to becoming an established Premier League midfielder.

Sangare now has the opportunity to prove that choosing regular football at Brentford was the correct career decision. His man-of-the-match Premier League debut has already provided an encouraging start.

United will instead judge their own midfield rebuild on the performances of Santos, Tielemans and Baleba. But if Sangare develops into another hugely valuable Premier League midfielder, their decision not to push harder for him could come under renewed scrutiny.