Manchester United Transfer News: Kevin Malcuit Eyed in Jose Mourinho Rumours

Manchester United are reportedly ready to launch a summer move for AS Saint-Etienne full-back Kevin Malcuit after manager Jose Mourinho was impressed by the defender in their recent UEFA Europa League meetings. 

According to Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, Mourinho "raved" about Malcuit after his side sealed a 4-0 aggregate victory against Saint-Etienne in the round of 32.

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It's believed Malcuit's pace is among the biggest attractions for the United chief after he watched the Frenchman keep up with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, two of the Red Devils' renowned speed demons.

It's been widely suggested United will look to strengthen at full-back when the transfer window reopens this summer, with Luke Shaw and Matteo Darmian both struggling for consistent minutes this term.

However, OptaJean pointed out in December that there is a fiery side to Malcuit, who can also play on the wing and in more advanced positions:

Mourinho made a point of bringing in specialist players last summer, rather than adding versatile multi-taskers as predecessor Louis van Gaal did, and the likes of Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have been huge successes in that regard.

However, Malcuit would represent a step away from that method as his malleability operating down the flanks makes him a candidate to make the jump from central France to Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old is contracted at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard until the end of the 2018-19 campaign, but the offer of a move to a top Premier League club may tempt the utility man to push for a summer move.

Although left-back looks like the area in more desperate need of reinforcement, football writer Chris Winterburn recently suggested both sides could do with fresh blood:

Sport Witness cited a report from French magazine France Football in January, which said Saint-Etienne had received an €8 million (£6.8 million) offer for Malcuit, while French outlet Le 10 Sport said West Ham United were interested.

The speedster has recorded four assists in 28 appearances across all competitions this season, featuring in both defence and midfield, and it appears that versatility could tempt Mourinho's United into a summer bid.