Man Utd and Man City 'face' £30m January transfer battle for 11-time international defender

Premier League heavyweights Manchester United and Manchester City are leading the charge to sign £30m rated Sporting Braga defender Sikou Niakaté in the January transfer window, according to reports from Africa Foot. Manchester United, who drew 2-2 with Liverpool last time out, have conceded an alarming 40 goals across all competitions this season and currently find themselves in the bottom half of the table after a slow start under new manager Ruben Amorim.

Meanwhile, defending champions Manchester City, have so far looked a shadow of the team that won the last four Premier League titles. Pep Guardiola’s team sit sixth in the Premier League table and have conceded 39 goals across all competitions this term with the likes of John Stones, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji all failing to show the same consistency they showed in recent seasons.

Both Manchester teams have struggled to name a settled backline throughout the campaign and are in desperate need of reinforcements if they are to end the campaign on a high, but who is Sikou Niakaté and why are both Manchester clubs desperate to sign him? Here’s all you need to know.

Who is Sikou Niakaté?

Siokou Niakaté is a 25-year-old central defender that currently plays in the Primeira Liga with Portuguese heavyweights Sporting Braga. He was born in Montreuil, France and spent time at the academies of Paris-Saint Germain and Evreux before making his senior professional debut with Valenciennes in the second-tier of French football in 2017. Niakaté impressed during his time at Stade du Hainaut and was sold to Guingamp in 2019 before moving up to the top-flight with Mainz on a loan deal in 2021.

The highly-rated young defender was signed by Sporting Braga in 2022 on an initial loan deal which was later made permanent for £1.8m. Since arriving in Portugal, he has helped the team secure regular qualification for European football and has formed a fundamental part of the team which lifted the Tac de Liga for just the third time in the club’s history. Niakaté has racked up 91 appearances in total since arriving at Sporting Braga and in that time has proven he can be a threat from set pieces by registering a commendable eight goals and one assist from defence.

The 11-time Mali international is renowned for his incredible strength, aggression and ability to nullify opposition attackers. He possesses excellent, speed is comfortable on the ball, is strong in the air and is expected to have a huge future in the game. However, the one concern from Manchester United and Manchester City’s perspective would be Niakate’s disciplinary record, which saw him receive five red cards in 2023.