1 week Ago By Laurynas Puikys
Manchester United are set to fend off competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea and Arsenal to sign exciting 14-year-old midfielder Emmanuel Ziro from London-based Cre8tive Football Academy, MailOnline has revealed. Ziro has caught the eyes of a number of Premier League clubs after impressing for the west London-based academy and is valued for his ‘exceptional’ ability to keep the ball under pressure, as well as his passing skills. The 14-year-old has demonstrated many ‘elite attributes’ in recent months, even in matches against Premier League academy sides, where he stood out against some of the best young players in London.
The Red Devils have placed a significant focus on strengthening their academy in recent months, with players like Chido-Obi Martin and Sekou Kone among last summer’s notable youth acquisitions. According to MailOnline, United are also among the Premier League clubs interested in 16-year-old striker Michael Noonan from Irish club St Patrick’s Athletic, although Manchester City appear to be in pole position to sign him at the moment. Since appointing Ruben Amorim, the Red Devils have been linked with multiple players in recent weeks, with reporters now speculating who could join the Portuguese tactician in Manchester from his Sporting Lisbon squad in 2025.
While players like Ousmane Diomande and Viktor Gyokeres have been mentioned previously, the 17-year-old winger Geovany Quenda has also emerged as a potential target recently. The 2007-born talent, who was given his professional debut by Amorim this season, has already made 18 senior appearances for Sporting across all competitions, scoring two goals and assisting another two. According to GIVEMESPORT sources, Sporting may be reluctant to let their exciting winger leave so soon and hold a strong negotiating position, as the 17-year-old has almost three years remaining on his contract, expiring in the summer of 2027.
While Amorim has confirmed he will not be raiding Sporting for any signings in the January window, the Red Devils are still expected to bolster their squad with new arrivals at the turn of the year, with two fresh faces at Old Trafford anticipated for now . Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt . Correct as of 1 4 -11-24.
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