Manchester United are set to battle Premier League rivals Arsenal for the signature of Rangers defender Jack Wylie.
That is according to The Daily Record, who claim that Erik ten Hag has sent scouts to watch the Scot a number of times over the course of the season.
Wylie helped Rangers to a win over Celtic in the U16 Scottish Football Association’s CAS Cup earlier in the month.
His performance in that final has prompted United to step up their interest.
Able to play at either right back or centre half, Wylie has been tracked by Arsenal for a number of months
Lee Herron, their head of youth scouting, has been tracking the defender’s progress all across Europe during his matches for Scotland’s Under 16 side.
Wylie will be eligible to sign his first professional contract in January and Rangers are currently sweating over the notion of losing their prospect on a tribunal.
Rangers recently lost Rory Wilson to Aston Villa in similar circumstances and, while they received £350,000 as compensation, they are not keen for the situation to repeat itself with Wylie.
They have attempted to convince the 16-year-old to sign a new long-term deal, but as of yet have received no encouragement.
With two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs circling, Wylie looks set to move south of the border sooner rather than later.
Both sides have managers with a good track record for developing young players, making such a move an attractive proposition.
In the case of Man United, there is even a clear pathway into the first team for any young right back able to impress Erik ten Hag, with Diogo Dalot the only viable option in the position in the squad.
