Arsenal and Aston Villa will reportedly compete with Manchester United to sign 21-year-old Belgian international from Sporting CP next year.

According to a report by Caught Offside, Zeno Debast is the subject of interest of Manchester United. The Red Devils are keen on reinforcing their defensive unit by signing a centre-back next year and have set their sights on the Sporting CP defender. However, they will face stiff competition from Arsenal and Aston Villa in the race to sign the Belgian international, who has a release clause worth €80 million in his contract with the Portuguese giants.

Zeno Debast and his recent rise

Zeno Debast has established himself as one of the most promising young defenders in the world in the last few years. A native of Halle, the highly-rated centre-back spent his formative years in Belgium and graduated from the youth division at RSC Anderlecht. However, he has seen his stock skyrocket after joining Sporting CP from Anderlecht last summer.

The 21-year-old has made over 50 appearances thus far for Sporting CP while chipping in with two goals and four assists. Meanwhile, Debast’s progress has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several high-profile clus. Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Manchester United are among the prospective suitors vying for his signature.

A man in demand

Arsenal’s continued search for a centre-back is baffling. The Gunners have become compulsive buyers of versatile central defenders during Mikel Arteta’s reign as the head coach. However, with the Arsenal manager having a stacked central defensive unit, it is unclear why Debast is a target, even though the Portuguese international can play as a holding midfielder.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s interest in Zeno Debast is understandable. The Villans were not as active as they would have liked during the summer transfer window due to concerns about possible PSR violations. So, they missed out on signing a centre-back, and the Sporting CP defender is an option worth considering.

As for Manchester United, Harry Maguire is on the wrong side of 30 and approaching the twilight of his career. So, preparing for life after the English international will be prudent, and the Red Devils are laying the groundwork for a move next year by preparing a bid of around €40 million. However, the Halle native has a release clause worth €80 million in his contract with Sporting CP.

It is unclear if Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Manchester United are ready to fork out €80 million to sign the 21-year-old Belgian international. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Debast amid his exceptional performances for Sporting CP.