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PL giants beat Leeds in race to sign in-demand player, deal close to completion - report
Manchester United have beaten Leeds United in the race to sign young Sunderland striker Joe Hugill, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Leeds, Tottenham, Arsenal, Wolves and some clubs from Germany had all shown an interest in signing the 16-year-old but Man United are now reportedly close to finalising a deal.
It is understood that the Premier League club are set to pay £300,000 to sign the striker, who turns 17 in October and has impressed in Sunderland’s youth ranks this season.
Hugill scored twice in his Under-23s debut against West Ham in February and netted a hat-trick against Shrewsbury in the FA Youth Cup in November.
Sunderland’s academy has had its fair share of success stories in the last few years with Jordan Pickford and Josh Maja developing into first-team stars at the Stadium of Light before sealing mutli-million-pound transfers away from the North East.
Will Durham-born Hugill join the growing list of players who’ve been developed by the Black Cats to go on and make a name for themselves in top-flight football?
Leeds will be gutted to have missed out on the teenager if that is the case because the number of clubs interested in him suggests he was someone who’d have been worth snapping up.
Hugill might regret not heading to Thorp Arch but we can see why a youngster would be lured into joining a club like Man United.
In other Leeds United news, David Prutton has said what must be Leeds’ “first port of call” if they go up.