Agreement in place for Man Utd midfield signing, as Prem rivals poached
Manchester United have a deal in place to sign Toby Collyer from fellow Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion to strengthen their youth ranks, reports claim.
Man Utd have had an eye to the future with their recruitment in recent years. For example, throughout last season, they signed teenagers such as Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri. It has been hard for some of them to make an instant impact. But United will hope the strategy pays off in the long-term.
Their under-23 team finished in the bottom half of the Premier League 2 last season and are mid-table this season. They will be keen to make sure they have a steady stream of talent coming through the ranks.
Various reports are now indicating that they are making an addition to their academy ranks. As reported by the likes of Fabrizio Romano and the Manchester Evening News, they have reached an agreement to take Toby Collyer from Brighton.
The 18-year-old is a defensive midfielder who can also play at centre-back. He has captained England at under-16 and under-17 level. However, he hasn’t played as much for Brighton in the under-18 Premier League this season, in comparison to the last.
Man Utd have spotted his potential and he went on to impress in a trial. Consequently, there is an agreement in place for them to sign him, even though it is yet to be announced.
According to the MEN, Collyer will sign a three-and-a-half-year contract to become a Man Utd player. His existing deal with Brighton expires in the summer.
He has played at the highest youth level for Brighton, first representing their under-23s when he had only just turned 17. It is not clear which age group United will integrate him to.
Only two Man Utd players would get into the Man City team – and that’s being kind
Man Utd set summer transfer budgets
At senior level, Man Utd may be set for a quieter summer in the transfer window – at least in terms of expenditure – than recent years.
According to the Telegraph, Man Utd will have a budget of £80m in they qualify for the Champions League, or £50m if they do not.
If it is to be the latter, it would represent their lowest summer spend since the Sir Alex Ferguson era. Not being able to spend so much may be problematic for a squad in need of evolution.
The Telegraph remind that Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard are out of contract at the end of the season. If they all leave for free – as could Juan Mata – it would not help United balancing the books.
Replacements would need to be sourced in midfield and up front that would fit within United’s spending limits.
Securing Champions League football for next season – either by finishing in the top four or winning this year’s competition – would give them some more flexibility.
So too would offloading some of their other players for transfer fees. However, high wages may be putting off suitors in a number of cases.
READ MORE: Lottery win ‘won’t buy’ Man Utd star as LaLiga club look elsewhere for summer recruitment
The post Agreement in place for Man Utd midfield signing, as Prem rivals poached appeared first on TEAMtalk.