Man Utd on verge of signing 'new Pogba' as they make double City raid

Manchester United are on the verge of signing the "new Paul Pogba" as they make a double raid on Manchester City.

The Reds commitment to youth talent has seen them make some key signings over the past couple of seasons and now they are set to bring in highly-rated midfielders David Eze and Karim Cassim.

Both teenagers expected to swap the Etihad Campus for Carrington after deciding their futures lie across the city.

Eze, 16, is understood to be the closest to completing a move after rejecting a new contract with City.

As the England Under-16 captain is still too young to sign a professional deal, United are expected to pay a compensation fee to their local rivals once the transfer is finalised.

The powerful box-to-box midfielder has earned rave reviews throughout City's academy, with his blend of athleticism, technical ability and composure in possession leading to comparisons with former United midfielder Paul Pogba.

Born in Dublin before moving to Manchester at the age of six, Eze is also eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally.

United are also increasingly confident of landing fellow City prospect Cassim.

The England Under-17 international is regarded as one of the most versatile midfielders in his age group, capable of operating as a defensive midfielder or in a more advanced creative role.

With his 17th birthday approaching in September, Cassim will soon be eligible to sign his first professional contract.

The potential double swoop underlines the academy recruitment strategy introduced by INEOS since taking control of football operations.

Rather than focusing solely on established first-team stars, United have placed significant emphasis on identifying elite young talent capable of developing into future first-team players.

That strategy has already seen the club recruit several highly-rated youngsters over the past 18 months, including Chido Obi, Ayden Heaven and, most recently, winger Tynan Thompson from Tottenham.

Earlier this week, United also included 15-year-old wonderkid JJ Gabriel in Michael Carrick's senior squad for the pre-season friendly against Rosenborg

The latest moves also continue a growing trend of players switching between the Manchester rivals.

In 2023, United signed Jack and Tyler Fletcher from City's academy, and the club hope Eze and Cassim can follow.

Ratcliffe has previously spoken of his desire to improve the value generated by United's academy, acknowledging that the club have not produced enough players capable of either breaking into the first team or commanding significant transfer fees in recent years.

With Brexit restricting English clubs to recruiting academy players from within the United Kingdom, competition for the country's top teenage talent has intensified.