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#1 Joachim Andersen
Despite only arriving in Italy last season, Danish centre-back Joachim Andersen has already made a reputation for himself as one of the best young defenders playing in Serie A.
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At 22 years of age, the Sampdoria defender has emerged as one of the league’s hottest prospects since his arrival from Holland’s FC Twente. And as is always the case with such hotly tipped youngsters, some of football’s biggest clubs are circling him.
Where Manchester United come into the picture is down to Stefano Rapetti. Who, you ask? Well, Rapetti is a fitness coach who used to work for the Red Devils as part of Jose Mourinho’s backroom staff. Before joining United, Rapetti had been at Sampdoria until 2017; it is his contacts there who alerted him to the quality of Andersen.
A strong 6 ft 3 frame, impressive technical skills and seemingly with the potential to become truly world-class, Andersen has reportedly been lined up to head to Old Trafford in the summer. With Tottenham Hotspur now weighing up a move for Andersen, it might be that United’s hand is forced and a January move is instead actioned for the Dane.
