Manchester United have signed a second striker in the January transfer window after agreeing a deal with Cardiff City for a Welsh hotshot.
Man Utd let Cristiano Ronaldo go in November by terminating his contract, forcing them to look for a winter replacement. Erik ten Hag got his man when Wout Weghorst joined on loan from Burnley on January 13.
The Dutchman has gone on to register one goal from four Man Utd matches so far. He is only at Old Trafford on loan, but he has already signalled his desire to join the Red Devils permanently if his temporary spell goes well.
Man Utd are still looking for a world-class striker to lead their forward line next season though, and they could spend well over £100m on a Serie A goalscorer.
In the mean time, Ten Hag’s side have agreed a far cheaper deal for Cardiff centre-forward Gabriele Biancheri.
According to the Daily Mail, Man Utd are set to announce the 16-year-old’s signing on a scholar deal. That comes after he completed a medical in Manchester over the weekend.
Cardiff will benefit from having Biancheri in their ranks until September though. Due to his age, the young attacker will not be able to link up with Man Utd until he turns 17 later this year.
Man Utd landing the Wales U17 international comes after Chelsea looked into signing him last summer. The Blues ultimately decided against bringing him in, but they could now regret this decision.
Man Utd to sign in-form teenager
He has been in great form this campaign, notching 17 goals and five assists so far. Biancheri has great potential and may end up forcing his way into the senior Man Utd squad in a few years’ time.
The Manchester giants capturing Biancheri shows Ten Hag is not just focusing on immediate success – he wants the future of the club to be bright, too.
The Dutchman has already taken charge of Man Utd’s U21 side to try and aid the process from youth to senior football.
In addition, he has placed his trust in young players such as Alejandro Garnacho, Facundo Pellistri and Kobbie Mainoo this term. Biancheri will be aware of that and will hope to impress Ten Hag in the future so he can get first-team opportunities.
The report does not reveal how much Man Utd have spent on Biancheri. Presumably, though, they will have to send Cardiff some compensation after the Bluebirds spent so long developing him.
