Manchester United CLOSE To Signing Of Chelsea Target Ahead Of January Window

Manchester United are set to go head-to-head with Chelsea to sign hotly-tipped Feyenoord whizz kid Tahith Chong when the transfer window reopens in January, as per the Express.

Chong, 15, is one of the most highly-rated young players in Netherlands, and is available to move to any club he desires when he turns 16 in January. The aforementioned source cite the Sun’s claim the Dutch teenager has already travelled to Manchester to discuss the move to Old Trafford.

The versatile Netherlands Under-16 player impressed United’s scouts during the Premier Cup tournament which was held at the Red Devils’ Carrington training ground.

However. Red Devils will have to slug it out with Chelsea for the signature of Chong, as Jose Mourinho’s side are also monitoring the player who can play up front and in midfield. Chong’s pace and killer eye for goal has made him a hot property in Europe.

United want to move swiftly ahead of Chelsea in order to sign Chong in January and register him in their youth set-up so as to gel and get prepared for a first-team future.

Chelsea have, in recent years, invested heavily on youths and have received sticks for farming out a host of fledgling players on loan. They have about 30 players on loan but the emergence of youngster Ruben Loftus-Cheek into the Chelsea first-team has raised a bit of hope at the club that they finally have an academy graduate to follow in the footsteps of captain John Terry.

The more likely scenario here is that Chong will join Man United – given the club’s policy of giving youngsters a chance to showcase their talents – and snub Chelsea whose motive is to always ship out tyros on loan in order to make some windfalls on them when they are sold.