Ibrahim Sangare has been catching the eyes of many over the last 12 months as he continues to develop at PSV Eindhoven.
Sport spoke to Fortuna Sittard manager Julio Velazquez to get an opinion on the 24-year-old. Velazquez last managed at Alaves in Spain last season but has had the opportunity to observe Sangare from up close.
“I’ve followed him since he was at Toulouse, because a very good friend of mine, Alain Casanova, coached him there. He is a technically very interesting midfielder, who gives continuity to the game and has a great ability to recover the ball, very forceful and strong in direct duels.”
He has “great potential and room for growth. He understands the game more and more and masters spaces better. In addition, he also has a certain ability to arrive in the box from deep too.”
Sangare possesses good numbers when it comes to making interceptions and winning duels. The Ivorian is fairly incisive with his passing though too, often looking to break lines up the middle.
It seems likely that Sangare will be an in-demand player in the coming transfer windows. Amid Premier League interest in the summer, he renewed his deal with PSV until 2027.
Barcelona are now said to be looking at Sangare as a potential replacement for Sergio Busquets. Velazquez did say it was “almost impossible to imitate” Busquets and it remains a topic of fierce debate at Camp Nou as to how to transition away from the veteran captain.
