David Eze: United going all out to sign Man City starlet ahead of rivals | OneFootball

Since INEOS took the helm at Old Trafford in 2024, Manchester United have demonstrated a renewed focus on adding the best young talent to the academy.

Worldwide View

The Red Devils’ academy is an integral part of the club’s history and identity. However, in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson malaise, the focus from the top down has been on the senior side.

Exorbitant amounts of money have been wasted in a desperate attempt to improve the first team, while the youth sides have become something of an afterthought, despite the obvious value that can be found by taking a longer-term view.

Ayden Heaven is the perfect example of this, having been signed from Arsenal by sporting director Jason Wilcox for just £1.5 million in January 2025. The 19-year-old centre-back, already an important member of Michael Carrick’s squad, is now worth well in excess of ten times that initial outlay.

However, he was not the only capture from the Emirates to swap North London for the North East of England, with Danish striker Chido Obi making the same journey six months prior. Southampton starlet Harley Emsden-James did the same last summer.

INEOS’s focus is not limited to England, however, with a number of exciting talents arriving on these shores from right across the globe, including Sekou Kone (Mali), Diego Leon (Paraguay), Cristian Orozoco (Ecuador), James Overy (Australia) and Enzo Kana-Biyik (France).

None of these players have been signed for big money, but if even just one – as Heaven has already done – follows through on their initial promise, it will pay to have gambled on the rest. If two or even three make it, United’s senior squad will be significantly improved as a result of this more patient approach.

Cross-City Raid

As the joint raid for Heaven and Obi proved, INEOS have no qualms about targeting their bitter rivals to secure a highly rated youngster. They are aiming to repeat the trick with a pair of Liverpool attackers, Vincent Joseph and Isaac Konde.

However, an even more ambitious plot is fully underway as United are going all out to sign Manchester City wonderkid David Eze – widely considered one of the best prospects in English youth football.

The 16-year-old midfielder is an all-action dynamo, capable of playing a variety of roles in the middle of the pitch. He possesses outstanding ball-carrying ability, having drawn stylistic comparisons to Paul Pogba, but is equally strong defensively, according to an academy expert.

The England under-16 international, who holds dual citizenship with Ireland, has also captained his country, showing leadership and work rate alongside his physical and technical attributes.

Manchester City are keen to keep him at the Etihad, though he is not able to sign a professional contract until he turns 17 next year. This has allowed United to storm into the race, holding talks with his camp over crossing the divide from blue to red in Manchester.

An inside source now claims Eze and his family have even been given a tour of Carrington as part of the courting process – a move which mirrors United’s failed pursuit of a then 16-year-old Jude Bellingham, before the Birmingham City star opted for Borussia Dortmund instead.

A host of clubs are said to be “in the race for Eze’s signature, but United will be hoping they have done enough to sign him,” the source concludes.

Final Thoughts

The red carpet United have rolled out for Eze is not typical, but he is far from a typical talent, nor is it typical to swap the Etihad for Old Trafford. This is what makes this such an exciting move, as the Red Devils will be signing one of England’s most highly regarded youngsters while prising him away from their bitter local rivals.

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