Manchester United boast one of the best, more esteemed academies in the world at Carrington, and are targeting a young ace from Scotland to nurture and develop.
What’s the word?
With Arsenal maintaining an interest in 15-year-old Jack Wylie that stems back to the summer, competition now arises from rivals Man Utd, who are keen on hijacking a prospective move and injecting the starlet into their academy plans.
The Daily Star report that United sent scouts to watch Wylie play a vital part in the Rangers U16 squad defeating rivals Celtic to lift the Club Academy Scotland Cup last month, and now feel the player must be drawn across the border to sign his first professional contract, which he will be able to do in January, with the Red Devils.
Football Insider also reported in October that Wylie had been subject of interest from a further Premier League outfit in Leeds United, and with so many circling suitors a swift approach may prove fruitful.
He’d burgeon at Carrington
Wylie, who is aptly suited as a central defender or a right-back, has been making steady progress at Rangers, nurturing his defensive skill set and earning plaudits for his dynamic style.
Once dubbed as a “wonderkid” and a “top talent” by coveted transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Wylie would likely benefit from entering the fray at Carrington, following in the footsteps of a plethora of young stars such as Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay and Anthony Elanga at present in emerging from the ranks and staking a claim within United’s first-team.
And with the recent meteoric rise of Alejandro Garnacho, who signed for United’s development squad from Atletico Madrid in 2020, when he was just 16, the path for success is illuminated for further additions.
The 19-year-old Argentine has broken into the senior reckoning over the past few months, bagging two goals and two assists in just his first ten professional appearances, and Wylie might be enticed to follow suit.
Simply, United offer the perfect platform to prosper from a young age, with a perpetual onus on youth and a churning development set-up that breeds constant success – something that’ll only continue to happen under the stewardship of manager Erik ten Hag, who was renowned for that sort of progression right through the club during his time at Ajax, with Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Ryan Gravenberch the finest examples.
With Arsenal offering a formidable youth system of their own, and Rangers urging their teenage sensation to continue his development on home soil, interest is set to crank up a notch in the coming weeks, with Wylie soon weighing up a huge decision regarding his immediate future, and the trajectory that his career might take across the next few years.