‘Even Manchester United’ – Everton Face Competition For Rising Midfield Talent

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13 July 2026

George Wood/Getty Images

Manchester United

have made enquiries about

Everton

target Christ Inao Oulai, who is on the books at Turkish side

Trabzonspor

Trabzonspor could well lose the highly rated 20-year-old given the level of interest there is in him this summer from a number of top sides.

The Black Sea Storm snapped Oulai up from French side Bastia just last summer and locked him down to a five-year deal.

Oulai has made rapid progress with the Turkish side, even breaking into the Ivory Coast squad last year and being part of the group that went to the

World Cup

David Moyes’

are amongst the sides showing interest in landing Oulai and taking him to the Hill Dickinson would be considered a coup for the Toffees.

There has been interest from another big north west club as, according to Italian journalist

Niccolo Ceccarini

, ‘even Manchester United’ have made enquiries about the midfielder.

Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos has also arrived at Old Trafford to boost the engine room options.

There has been interest in Oulai from elsewhere in the Premier League,

where Tottenham Hotspur were credited as frontrunners for his signature last month

Spurs have since splashed the cash on Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali at a combined cost of almost £200m.

Roberto De Zerbi looks to now be focusing on attack, which may well make a move to sign Oulai from the north London club less likely.

Everton will be hoping Manchester United’s captures of Tielemans and Santos make it less likely that they will firm up their interest in Oulai with an offer.

Moyes however would still likely have to deal with competition from Fiorentina, where Fabio Paratici is pulling the strings.

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