Manchester United and Liverpool have both joined Tottenham Hotspur in the chase to land Argentina U23 ace Kevin Zenon, a report has claimed.
Zenon is a 23-year-old star who can operate anywhere down the left flank, from left-back all the way up to left winger. He broke through at Union Santa Fe before joining their Argentinian rivals Boca Juniors in January.
Since then, Zenon has made 35 appearances for Boca, chipping in with four goals and seven assists in that time.
Zenon’s impressive performances at club level saw him jet off with the likes of Julian Alvarez and Nicolas Otamendi to represent Argentina at the Olympics in Paris.
The wide man registered one assist in four games before his side were knocked out by France in the quarter-finals.
Zenon is now back at Boca, though it might not be long before he follows in the footsteps of plenty of his compatriots by making a big switch to Europe.
Earlier this month, it emerged that Tottenham are ‘determined’ to sign the player. Now, though, TBR Football claim that Spurs will face intense competition for his services from Man Utd and Liverpool.
Man Utd and Liverpool are the latest major clubs to set their sights on Zenon after sending scouts to watch him in action recently.
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Man Utd transfers: Kevin Zenon battle looms
The South American is ‘widely expected’ to leave Boca at some point next year as he has a ‘bargain’ release clause in his contract, which runs until December 2028.
That exit clause stands at £12.7million (€15.2m / US$17m). A transfer at that price is well within the reach of Man Utd, Liverpool and Spurs, though it would still see Boca make a good profit.
However, it is not a certainty that Zenon will follow the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Alexis Mac Allister to England when making his next move.
The report adds that clubs in Spain, Italy and France are ‘monitoring his situation’ too ahead of launching potential bids.
Zenon could be a fantastic signing for Man Utd as he would help to solve two issues at once. Marcus Rashford’s attitude and somewhat unreliable form at left wing has once again come into question this season after he was dropped from the starting eleven by Erik ten Hag for the goalless draw with Crystal Palace.
Man Utd have also had plenty of problems at left-back over the last year, with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia both picking up injuries. As Zenon can operate in either of those positions, he would give Man Utd an extra option to use.
Liverpool, meanwhile, can already rely on Andy Robertson and Luis Diaz as their main starters down the left side. Diaz has been linked with a big switch to Barcelona, but he now looks set to remain at Anfield by penning fresh terms.
Zenon could still be useful for Liverpool though as the Reds are searching for a younger left-back who can become Robertson’s long-term successor. The Boca star’s versatility means he would be able to provide backup for Diaz and Cody Gakpo at left wing, too.
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Man Utd’s Argentine stars – past and present
Juan Sebastian Veron (2001-2003)
Man Utd broke the English transfer record to make Veron their first Argentine player in 2001, a year after he had helped Lazio win Serie A. However, he struggled to have an impact on an individual level in the Premier League, despite Sir Alex Ferguson retaining confidence in him. The defensive midfielder left for Chelsea after two seasons, but returned to Italy with Inter after a single year there.
Gabriel Heinze (2004-2007)
Heinze joined Man Utd from PSG in 2004 and was named the club’s Player of the Year after his debut season with the club. Able to play as a left-back or centre-half, his versatility was useful, but he ultimately wanted to pursue more regular gametime elsewhere. An exit to rivals Liverpool was blocked, but Heinze left for Real Madrid instead.
Carlos Tevez (2007-2009)
Joining Man Utd in complicated circumstances after an impactful spell playing for West Ham, Tevez coped well with the step up and scored 34 goals from 99 appearances for the Red Devils, winning the Premier League title in each of his two seasons there. More controversy followed, though, when he completed a high-profile move to Manchester City in 2009.
Marcos Rojo (2014-2021)
Man Utd’s longest-serving Argentine player, at the time of writing, is Marcos Rojo, who spent seven seasons at the club. The defender signed from Sporting at the start of the Louis van Gaal era, earning four honours during his time at the club. He made more than 100 appearances, but the bulk were heavily weighted towards the start of his spell, as his gametime dwindled in later years.
Angel Di Maria (2014-2015)
A future World Cup winner, there can be little doubting Di Maria’s talent, but he didn’t express it as much at Man Utd as he did at other clubs. Indeed, 32 games is the least he has played for any club in his career. The attacking midfielder spent solely Van Gaal’s first season at Old Trafford before moving on to PSG, where he would redeem himself.
Sergio Romero (2015-2021)
A generally reliable backup goalkeeper, Romero joined Man Utd from Sampdoria in 2015. He helped Jose Mourinho’s side win the Europa League in the 2016-17 season, which was his busiest for gametime of his whole Old Trafford spell. He eventually fell even further down the pecking order, though, and headed back to Italy to join Venezia on a free in October 2021.
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Alejandro Garnacho (2022-present)
One of the most exciting stars to emerge from the Man Utd Academy in recent years, Garnacho became a first-team regular last season, in which he made 50 appearances. Despite being born in Spain’s capital, Madrid, he chose to represent his mother’s country, Argentina, at international level. He made his debut for the nation in the summer of 2023 and a year later helped them win the Copa America.
Lisandro Martinez (2022-present)
The other Argentine player on Man Utd’s books at present is Lisandro Martinez. Erik ten Hag brought the defender with him from Ajax in 2022 and, in the face of concerns about his height, Martinez has gone on to prove his doubters wrong by becoming one of the club’s most important defenders. He became a World Cup winner with his country at Qatar 2022.
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