“Bidding war is imminent”: United set for transfer battle with Chelsea to land U17 World Cup magician – report

Under INEOS, Manchester United have not been shy when it comes to signing teenage stars from around the globe as they seek to unearth the next superstar. That approach has seen the club sign Chido Obi, Ayden Heaven, and Diego Leon last season, while this summer, the Red Devils brought in Enzo Kana-Biyik and Harley Emsden-James. The club also signed a pre-contract agreement with Cristian Orozco, and more such deals are in the pipeline. As previously relayed by The Peoples Person, the 20-time English league champions are keeping an eye on emerging talents from the U17 World Cup being held in Qatar. Seydou Dembele, Mali’s U17 World Cup hero Felipe Esquivel of Argentina and Republic of Ireland’s Michael Noonan have already been scouted by the Old Trafford side. Now, as per The Daily Mail, the three-time Champions League winners have also had their eyes on Mali’s Seydou Dembele. The 17-year-old has been the talk of the town among scouts with Chelsea and United currently in pole position for the Malian attacking midfielder. In five World Cup games, the JMG Academy product ended up scoring twice while registering four assists. He is left-footed and can play out wide as well. “Let’s start at the top, with the midfielder that has been the talk of scouts out in Qatar. While his nation did fall short against Morocco in the last 16, Seydou Dembele has been one of the brightest prospects of any team in the competition. United must try to beat Chelsea in the race “Chelsea have been keen on 5ft 5in Dembele for months, while scouts for Manchester United kept a very close eye at this World Cup. “Dembele, who copied Lamine Yamal’s ‘304’ celebration after knocking out Zambia, has brilliant stamina levels and evades markers easily with his low centre of gravity. And while he remains a raw talent, this tournament should ensure a top European side goes all-in to sign him. “He comes from good stock at the JMG Academy, too, with the same group helping produce Yves Bissouma (Tottenham Hotspur), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund) and Cheick Doucoure (Crystal Palace). The bidding war for Dembele is imminent…” Known for his chance creation abilities and brilliant engine, a bidding war is said to be imminent. Hopefully, United can pip the Blues in the race. Feature image Alex Livesey via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25