Signing young players is a big business these days, with all the big clubs in Europe focused hard on youth at this moment in time. Manchester United are no different.
Their summer deals for Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri exemplified as much, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having made focusing on the future a priority under his leadership.
That is very much a return to the norm for United, who were once one of the best clubs around at hoovering up talent, be it British or foreign, and developing them for the future.
With finances tight, and likely to remain so once COVID is firmly in the rearview mirror, the focus on youth is only likely to increase and one name to keep an eye on may be Atlético Madrid youngster Marco Moreno.
They explain that the defender, who arrived at the Wanda Metropolitano in 2016 from Las Palmas and has worked his way up to their B side since, is one of the highly-rated prospects at the Spanish club.
‘Powerful, fast and strong, and very skilled in ball control’ he’s considered one to keep an eye on in the coming years, with Atlético having already improved his contract and put in a €25m release clause.
They secured him ahead of stern competition four years ago, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Villarreal all having vied for his signature at one point.
Manchester United were also keen and ‘came close’ to paying his €3m release clause during his first year as a youth player according to AG.
Why they never went through with the deal isn’t mentioned, although that year (2016/17) saw Eric Bailly arrive from Villarreal and well as Axel Tuanzebe move up from from the U18s so perhaps they felt there was no need.
It’s potentially a decision they regret now, but with central defence remaining an issue, Moreno may be a name to keep an eye on, even if they do have to pay significantly more than they once would have.
