Man Utd looking to win transfer race for ‘new Frenkie de Jong’, 16, after tracking wonderkid for a year
MANCHESTER UNITED are trying to get ahead of their rivals in the race to sign Norwegian teen talent Sverre Nypan this summer.
The Rosenborg midfielder is the hottest prospect in Scandinavian football right now after announcing himself in senior football with a goal last weekend.
United have been tracking the 16-year-old for around a year and had him on their radar before his initial first-team breakthrough at the end of last year.
The Red Devils followed Nypan’s progress over the winter months when he played for his country’s youth side in a tournament over in Spain.
They have since kept tabs on him and one of their top talent spotters attended Norway’s Uefa Under-17 Championship qualifiers against Croatia and Slovenia.
United’s leading Scandinavian scout Tommy Moller Nielsen was then in attendance at Rosenborg’s home clash with Odds BK in late April the weekend after Nypan had returned to training after a knock.
However, the midfielder — whose press-resistant style has been likened to United target Frenkie de Jong — did not make the matchday squad.
The Old Trafford club are now facing increased competition for Nypan’s signature after his goal against Norwegian table-toppers Bodo/Glimt last weekend alerted other top clubs in Germany, Holland and Belgium.
TV 2 analyst Petter Bo Tosterud believes the fact that under-fire Rosenborg coach Kjetil Rekdal, whose side are just above the relegation zone, chooses to throw the youngster into an already pressured situation speaks volumes about his temperament.
“His touch on the ball and calmness mean that the coaches don’t feel stressed at all, and they probably need to check his passport to see if he is actually 16-years-old,” he told Nettavisen.no.
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“He is probably shorter than most of the others on the pitch and 50 kilograms lighter than them.
“But every time a team-mate plays a pass to him, they feel they are making a safe choice.
“That is perhaps what makes him stand out.
“He is young, but you can trust him.”