United to go head-to-head with Barcelona to sign midfield wonderkid with the most assists in the U17 World Cup – report

Apart from signing established stars for the Manchester United first team, the club are always on the lookout for the next unpolished gem. Since Christopher Vivell’s arrival, the African market has been explored thoroughly, as seen from the Red Devils’ acquisition of Sekou Kone. According to Africa Foot, another Malian prodigy is in the club’s sights — Seydou Dembele of JMG Academy in Bamako. An attacking midfielder by trade, the 18-year-old has been on fire for his nation’s U17 team. Seydou Dembele, a star in the making In the recently concluded U17 World Cup, the wonderkid ended the tournament with two goals and four assists, the most in the competition. He helped Mali’s U17 team reach the U17 Africa Cup of Nations final, finishing with two goals. Naturally, his form has attracted the interest of several of Europe’s bigwigs, including the 20-time English league champions, Barcelona as well as Fenerbahce. This means United are unlikely to have a free shot at signing him. The JMG Academy also has a tie-up with RB Salzburg, which makes the race even tougher. Lots of competition for his signature Chelsea came close to signing him in January, but their bid of €1.6 million was eventually turned down. “According to exclusive information from Africafoot, Fenerbahçe has set its sights on Malian prodigy Seydou Dembélé. “A resident of the Jean-Marc Guillou Academy in Bamako, Seydou Dembélé is one of the great hopes of world football. “Chelsea had initially made an offer of €1.6 million to secure Seydou Dembélé’s signature, as exclusively revealed by Africafoot . However, this offer was unsuccessful due to fierce competition for the player. Who will win the race? “The Malian prodigy is already being closely followed by several other big names in European football, including Manchester United and FC Barcelona. “Red Bull Salzburg, a partner club of the Jean-Marc Guillou Academy in Bamako, also hopes to welcome Seydou Dembélé. Interestingly, with the midfielder having turned 18, United can now sign him straight away if they wish. An interesting transfer battle is on the cards. 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