Man Utd eye move for Barcelona starlet, teenager set for Old Trafford switch

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Man Utd could reportedly eye a long-term investment as they’ve been linked with a move to snap up a promising young Barcelona talent this summer.

Nico Gonzalez is set to leave the Catalan giants, with Sport initially raising doubts over his future at the Nou Camp with his current contract set to expire.

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The 16-year-old central midfielder is highly regarded by Barca, as evidenced by the suggestion in the above report that they were willing to fast-track him through the youth levels as part of their plan to convince him to stay.

However, it doesn’t appear to have worked, as the Manchester Evening News add that the talented youngster is set for a move to Man Utd, building on the initial report from Sport which suggested that the Red Devils were keen on the young Spaniard and had emerged as the favourites to land his signature.

Given Gonzalez is still so young, it’s undoubtedly difficult to determine and predict whether or not he’ll develop into a quality player capable of breaking into the senior side.

Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy has produced some of the best talents in football while others have struggled to live up to the hype, but it remains to be seen whether or not Man Utd can now conclude a deal for Gonzalez and help him improve and mature into a top player.

Jose Mourinho doesn’t have the greatest track record of giving youth a chance, as evidenced by the ongoing criticism of his lack of faith and confidence in the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku during his time in charge at Chelsea.

Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are two more recent examples at Man Utd and both have struggled to establish themselves as a permanent fixture in the Portuguese tactician’s plans.

Nevertheless, Gonzalez still has plenty to prove himself if he does indeed move to Manchester, while Barcelona will perhaps be disappointed to lose a talented young player before realising his full potential.

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