Manchester United are outside of the transfer window but that does not stop them from being able to complete some deals ahead of the January market opening
Manchester United director of football Jason Wilcox shakes hands with the club’s new academy director Stephen Torpey at Carrington(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Manchester United are reportedly very close to completing a transfer for 17-year-old Senegalese midfielder Mouhamed Dabo.
According to Africa Foot, Dabo has been on trial at Carrington in recent times as United continue to broaden their scout network for the next generation of players. The central midfielder, who is also the captain of the Senegal U17s national team, is thought to have impressed the United decision makers during a trial.
Currently, Dabo is on the books at the Be Sport Academy who have had ties to Barcelona in the past. And while it is claimed that the midfielder is on the radar of the Catalan club, it is thought that United are on the verge of completing the deal.
Interestingly, it is believed that Dabo’s ‘raw talent and maturity’ have convinced the recruitment team to take a punt on the Senegalese player. Should United complete the deal, it is likely that they would pay a ‘minimal fee’ for Dabo that could be paid back at least ten fold if he manages to progress into the first-team.
While Dabo would almost certainly enter the academy at United, it is yet more evidence of the Reds looking to the future with their recruitment policy. Previously, Ineos have spoken with fondness at the idea of signing players at a young age and developing them into stars of the future.
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Speaking at The Times CEO Summit in June 2024, Sir Jim Ratcliffe made a point of insisting that signing household names alone would not take United back to the top. “I don’t think the solution is to buy a [Kylian] Mbappe,” he explained.
“We are more grassroots than that. One player is not going to solve the problem at Manchester United.
“The first thing we need to do is build a balanced squad and ultimately maybe top it off with one or two players like Mbappe. It will take two or three summer windows to get to a better place.”
So far, Ineos have had two full summer transfer windows since Ratcliffe’s comments and the jury remains out on the recruitment they have managed to complete. United return to action on Saturday when they visit Brentford in the Premier League.
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