Ebrima Tunkara: Man United plot to ruin Barcelona’s plan for wonderkid | OneFootball

Manchester United are ready to rival Europe’s elite for Barcelona wonderkid Ebrima Tunkara, according to a new report from Spain.

Gambian Gem, Spanish Star

Born in Gambia, Tunkara moved to Catalonia as a baby and has grown up in Spain, representing La Roja at youth level and joining Barcelona’s esteemed academy.

The 16-year-old playmaker is already a “household name” at La Masia, according to AS, and possesses a potent combination of technical and physical skills.

He has a wand of a left foot, capable of dizzying dribbling and line-breaking through balls, which is matched by an “impressive physique for someone his age”. The Blaugrana believe he has the potential to “reach the elite level.”

Tunkara has been showcasing his talents to the world at the Under-17 European Championship, where he has been the standout player in Estonia.

The youngster, who operates primarily as an attacking midfielder but can also play on either wing, has racked up one goal and four assists in the opening three games. No other player has contributed more than two goals, while he is the only Spaniard to start each game.

In short, it has already been a breakout tournament for the Barcelona jewel, and it is only the group stage. If he propels Spain to victory while adding more goals and assists, the hype over the ‘next Lamine Yamal’ will go into overdrive.

United in the hunt

AS reveals a host of top clubs have dispatched scouts to Estonia, including United, to keep tabs on football’s next batch of potential superstars.

Naturally, Tunkara has dominated the conversation, with the Red Devils joined by Manchester City and Juventus in “compiling reports on the Barcelona prodigy”. Athletic Club’s Christian Imga and Atletico Madrid’s pair, Abdou Kemo Badji and Ian Mencía, have also caught the eye.

Barcelona are intent on keeping Tunkara at Camp Nou, with Hansi Flick planning to bring him on the club’s pre-season tour this summer – a gambit used to show young players their pathway to the first team, as United will do with 15-year-old sensation JJ Gabriel.

Whether United will be able to lure the Spanish starlet to Manchester is unclear at present. However, the prospect of Tunkara and Gabriel, two of the most exciting prospects in world football, combining forces at Old Trafford is certainly a mouth-watering one.

The Red Devils remain locked in talks with Barcelona over Marcus Rashford‘s potential permanent switch, offering another layer of complexity to proceedings should attempts to sign Tunkara be launched.

Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

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