Manchester United are set to battle against Premier League rivals Arsenal for the signing of Rangers defender Jack Wylie.
That’s according to The Daily Record, who claims that Erik ten Hag has sent scouts to observe the Scotsman multiple times over the course of the season.
Wylie helped Rangers beat Celtic in the Scottish Under-16 Football Association CAS Cup earlier in the month.
His performance in that final has led United to intensify their interest.
Wylie, capable of playing as a right-back or central midfielder, has been tracked by Arsenal for several months. Lee Herron, his head of youth scouting, has been following the defender’s progress across Europe during his games with the Scotland under-16 team.
Wylie will be eligible to sign his first professional contract in January and the Rangers are currently worried about losing their prospect in court.
Rangers recently lost Rory Wilson to Aston Villa in similar circumstances and although they have received £350,000 in compensation, they are not about to see the situation repeat itself with Wylie.
They have tried to convince the 16-year-old to sign a new long-term deal, but have received no encouragement so far.
With two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs hanging around, Wylie looks set to make a move south of the border sooner rather than later.
Both sides have coaches with good track records developing young players, making this move an attractive proposition.
In the case of Man United, there is even a clear path to the first team for any young right-back capable of impressing Erik ten Hag, with Diogo Dalot the only viable option for the role in the team.
