Manchester United have joined the race alongside Chelsea to sign Fiorentina’s Italian winger Federico Bernardeschi

According to a report by Transfer Market Web, Jose Mourinho is eyeing Federico Bernardeschi who has been a Chelsea target for quite some time now. The Italian enjoyed a good season for Fiorentina and is looking for a move out of the club ahead of signing a new contract with them.

Bernardeschi, a 23-year-old winger, is an alumni of the Viola youth academy. He made his professional debut at the age of 19, when he was on loan to Serie B side FC Crotone in 2013. A year later, he donned the colours of Florence for the first time when he was selected for their Serie A game against Genoa.

In the current season, Bernardeschi fired 14 goals in all competitions for Fiorentina, and quickly emerged as one of the most sought-after wingers. Although Chelsea have been identified as the front-runners in signing the winger, Manchester United have a past connection with Bernardeschi.

Way back in 2011, when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge, he tried to sign the then 17-year-old Bernardeschi from the Centro Sportivo Campini. That move did not go through, but now it looks like Jose Mourinho is set to make a move for the winger yet again.

Mourinho will have to ward off interest from other big clubs like Juventus, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, if he is serious about signing the young Italian.

FLORENCE, ITALY - APRIL 15: Federico Bernardeschi of ACF Fiorentina in action during the Serie A match between ACF Fiorentina and Empoli FC at Stadio Artemio Franchi on April 15, 2017 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Rushing towards the Premier League? (Photo courtesy Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

As far as his performances are concerned, Bernardeschi is fast and technically gifted. He is left-footed but he prefers to play on the right wing. This allows him to tackle better and cut inside to snatch away balls from the opposition. The youngster also loves playing a mean reverse pass.

At Manchester United, Jose Mourinho is still trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Considering Bernardeschi’s playing style, he can potentially be a regular for their starting XI and receive ample support from players like Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Also, with Wayne Rooney most likely to join Everton over the summer, United will need a new forward. He can expect to get more playing time at Old Trafford when compared to Stamford Bridge since he will have to compete with Diego Costa and Eden Hazard.

On the flip side though, signing Bernardeschi can prove to be a good option for Antonio Conte since that gives him more scope for player rotation up-front. If it does come down to a tussle between both clubs, Manchester United is likely to be better suited for him simply because of the amount of playing time and exposure he’ll get.

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