United give up their pursuit of World Cup wonderkid after scouting him for six months, fans will be furious – report

Manchester United under INEOS have become known for their aggressive youth-oriented transfer policy. The likes of Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro are proof that this strategy works, with the Red Devils also snapping up Diego Leon and Cristian Orozco from South America in recent times. One wonderkid who has set the World Cup alight is Gilberto Mora of Mexico, and naturally, plenty of Europe’s elites are chasing his signature. The 20-time English league champions have been at the front of the queue, having scouted him for more than six months. United were at the front of the queue for Gilberto Mora The 17-year-old can play across the front line, and already has 10 senior goals for his club side, Tijuana, where he is under contract until 2029. That agreement includes a release clause in the region of £20 million. However, The Mirror have now reported that United have left the race due to the potential of a bidding war breaking out. The Mexican wonderkid is represented by Rafaela Pimenta, who is known to drive a hard bargain and is always on the lookout for the best possible deal. And as seen with United’s failed pursuits of Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, Sir Jim Ratcliffe will not entertain the idea of overpaying even if that means losing out on top targets. INEOS have now given up “Manchester United have pulled out of the race to sign Mexican sensation Gilberto Mora. United have spent six months monitoring Mora. Club scouts have also watched his progress at the World Cup, where Mora has helped co-hosts Mexico reach the last 16. “But the teenager’s impressive performances have also attracted strong interest from some of United’s biggest rivals. These include neighbours Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona. “And while United are still keen to consider the world’s brightest young talent, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is not prepared to get involved in a bidding war for Mora. “The 17-year-old has just signed a new long-term deal with Tijuana. But the deal includes a buy-out clause of £20m, designed to secure him a move to one of Europe’s top clubs.” Whether this stance from United will come back to bite them remains to be seen. If Gilberto Mora were to join a Premier League rival, fans would not be too pleased. Feature image Agustin Cuevas 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