INSIDE: United sign wonderkid from Barca PLUS Pogba wants to be world beater
REDS FIGHT OFF COMPETITION FROM ARSENAL AND SPURS TO LAND YOUNGSTER
UNITED are close to finalising a deal for Barcelona defender Marc Jurado.
Right-back Jurado, 16, is understood to have rejected a professional contract at Barca and is expected to be named among United’s academy intake for next season.
United have already fought off competition from Arsenal and Tottenham to agree a £300,000 deal with Sunderland for striker Joe Hugill, also 16. Former academy head Nicky
Butt oversaw an aggressive recruitment drive following his appointment in February 2016.
Tahith Chong, Charlie McCann, France youth international Aliou Traore, Spaniard Arnau Puigmal, Largie Ramazani, and Harvey Neville were some of the high-profile arrivals on Butt’s watch.
Nick Cox replaced Butt, now the head of first-team development, last year and United agreed a EUR10million deal with Monaco for France youth midfielder Hannibal Mejbri in August.
Spurs were keen on Mejbri and
United also bought Dutchman Dillon Hoogewerf from Ajax in the summer. The likely acquisition of Jurado will doubtless spark comparisons with Gerard Pique, who moved from Barcelona to United as a 17-year-old in 2004 – just after Jurado was born.
Pique played before he rejoined
Barcelona in 2008 for £4m and went onto win seven La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues, as well as the World Cup and European Championship. More recently, United signed Spaniards Puigmal and Mateo Mejia to their academy. Puigmal joined United from Espanyol in 2017 and Mateo Mejia left Real Zaragoza for United last year.
Nicky Butt has overseen an aggressive recruitment drive since his appointment Samuel Luckhurst