Manchester United Transfer News: Red Devils Should Pass on Geoffrey Kondogbia

Manchester United have been linked to some big names during the transfer window including Cesc Fabregas, Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines, according to Simon Knights of talkSPORT. The Red Devils have even been linked with a possible return for Cristiano Ronaldo, as The Guardian's Paul Doyle reported earlier in the month.

Despite all the rumors, very little has happened. Perhaps that is why the Red Devils have reportedly set their sights on a more attainable player like Geoffrey Kondogbia, but United should go in a different direction regardless.

Kondogbia is a 20-year-old defensive midfielder for Sevilla of La Liga, and he has already made waves during his brief professional career. That is why many analysts believe that the French national has the potential to be a star.

According to David Anderson of Mirror Football, Kondogbia has garnered interest from some of the top teams in the world, including Manchester United. There are some definite hurdles standing in the Red Devils' way, however, including his desire to play regularly as well as a pricey buyout clause.

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At the moment, I'm still a Sevilla player, although things can change, he said.

If I leave, then it will be to join a club where I'm given playing time.

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Based on how much it would cost to secure him, Kondogbia may not be leaving Sevilla in the near future. According to Anderson, it would take £17.2 million to buy the youngster out of his Sevilla pact, and the powers that be at Sevilla intend to pay none of that money.

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Kondogbia is not on the market, said (Sevilla president Jose Maria) Del Nido. But whoever wants him has to pay his 20m euros clause.

But please, any team that tries to sign him - don't. We will consider it an attack.

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With Jose Maria del Nido focused on playing hardball, there is no reason for Manchester United to feverishly pursue Kondogbia. Also, it is nearly impossible for the Red Devils to promise Kondogbia significant playing time this season. The United midfield could stand to improve, but it has plenty of depth, and Kondogbia would be nothing more than a reserve during the upcoming season.

Kondogbia has loads of potential; however, teams should pay for production rather than potential. It would certainly cost more to land some of the big names that the Red Devils have been targeting if any of them become openly available, but it's better to pay a little bit more for players who have already proved capable of performing at a high level.

It's always nice to see power clubs like Manchester United investing in the future, but if the Red Devils make a move for Kondogbia at such a ridiculous price, there is no doubt that the team will be doing so in an effort to compensate for missteps in the pursuit of other players.

Whether it's fair or not, Manchester United are constantly in "win now" mode. Because of that, they can't always afford to develop players. Kondogbia could help immediately to some degree, but it would take at least a couple of years for him to become an effective starter, and that is assuming that he lives up to his immense promise.

The Red Devils have been under fire this offseason due to their inability to hook a big fish during the transfer window, so it's possible that they will ultimately panic if they don't make something happen soon. That isn't the way to build a winning team, though, and the Manchester United brass is fully aware of that.

Bringing in Kondogbia wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for the Red Devils since he does have superstar ability, but it just doesn't seem like a good fit right now. United can't promise him the type of playing time he desires, so they should ramp up their interest in more established players in order to fill their current teams.

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