Man Utd in ‘advanced talks’ to tie down red-hot youngster tipped up as amazing talent
Ethan Wheatley is very highly-rated at Man Utd
Manchester United are reportedly deep in discussions with highly-rated youngster Ethan Wheatley over signing his first professional contract.
The Red Devils have always been known as a club not afraid to blood young talent, which has worked over the course of decades when considering some of the players who have come through at Old Trafford.
And one of the latest starlets to show his quality is young forward Wheatley.
Manchester World has provided an update on the player’s future, claiming that United are in ‘advanced talks’ for Wheatley to sign his first professional deal.
The attacker has already been capped at England U17 level and the report adds that United view Wheatley as one of their ‘brightest’ prospects on the books right now.
Wheatley, 17, played for the Under-18 side last season but has stepped up to feature for the U-21s this time around.
The fact that his performances have led to other clubs sniffing around has prompted Old Trafford chiefs to look to secure his short-term future.
As for the player himself, Wheatley is said to be happy at the club and has no intention of moving on.
To that end, talks over that first pro deal are moving on nicely, although no breakthrough is expected this side of Christmas.
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Meanwhile, Manchester World also points out that winger Omari Forson, who featured for United in pre-season, is also in line for a new deal.
Securing top young talent is certainly a strength at Old Trafford and goes slightly against the mold in terms of some of the big-money additions to the senior squad since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
Indeed, it’s thought that potential new United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is preparing for a brutal overhaul of the senior squad, with at least 10 players set to be on the move across January and the summer.
That could mean some turnaround for Erik ten Hag to deal with, assuming that he remains in charge once Ratcliffe secures his 25 percent ownership.
United are back in Premier League action on Sunday when they head to Everton in the Premier League.