Manchester United are always on the lookout for the next big talents to bring into the club. In the last few years, they have recruited young talents from around Europe, at academy age or slightly older, who have broken into the first team.

Perhaps the best two examples of this in recent are Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo. The former joined as a 16-year-old from Atletico Madrid for £420k in 2020, with the latter costing £19m upfront from Atalanta.

Of course, the pair are now key first-team players, showing the investment has paid off. Garnacho started the season quickly and has scored eight times this term, with four assists to his name too, in 25 games.

Amad has finally broken into the starting lineup under new United boss Ruben Amorim. He has been exceptional this term, and has five goals and eight assists, also in 25 appearances. As per football statistician Statman Dave, the Ivorian is averaging a goal or assist every 80 minutes under the Portuguese manager.

So, signing young talents and bedding them, into the first team has clearly worked for United previously. In fact, the Red Devils may soon be looking to repeat the feat, as they target another talented youngster.

Man United target starlet

The player in question here is Norweigan starlet Sverre Nypan. The highly-rated midfielder has been linked with a move away from Rosenborg for some time now, but rumours have begun to heat up ahead of the January transfer window.

According to a report from TBR Football, the Red Devils are ‘trying to get a deal done’ for the midfielder and beat other Premier League sides to his signature. This is not a rushed decision from the 13-time Premier League champions, who ‘have been chasing Nypan for years’ and would now like to wrap up a quick deal.

However, they will face fierce competition if they want to bring him in. German trio Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund are all interested, as are several of United’s Premier League rivals including Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle and Aston Villa.

It is believed the player will lean towards a move to the Old Trafford side, with the report suggesting a move to the Red Devils has long been his preference’. A deal for Nypan would not break the bank, and he could cost £10m, the minimum Rosenborg would want for him.

Why Nypan would be a good signing

At just 18 years of age, Nypan is having a fantastic impact in the Rosenborg first team in 2024. He has eight goals and seven assists in the Eliteserien this year, and three assists in three Europa Conference League qualification games.

There have been several memorable moments in 2024 for the youngster. One of those was an impressive hat trick against Lillestrom in September, which was his first in a professional game and helped his side to three points.

However, perhaps the best performance from Nypan this year came against United. The midfielder ran the show in a pre-season friendly against the Red Devils. As per Sofascore, he had 51 touches, creating two chances and completing six from seven dribbles along the way, all of which came in just 45 minutes.

Stat

Number

Touches

51

Pass accuracy

80%

Passes completed

20/25

Ground duels won

8/14

Dribbles completed

6/7

Chances created

2

Indeed, the 18-year-old could become United’s very own Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal midfielder has become one of the best creative players in the Premier League, landing a place in the PFA Team of the Year last season, and there are certainly similarities between the two.

The pair are both creative midfielders hailing from Norway. Their talent was clear from a young age, with both players making their debut at the age of just 15. There are certainly some early similarities between the Gunners captain and United’s potential new superstar.

However, there can also be statistical comparisons drawn between the two when looking at Nypan’s season in 2024, and Odegaard’s campaign now. As per Sofascore, the 18-year-old has created seven big chances and averages 1.7 key passes per game, which is why football analyst Ben Mattinson described him as an “intelligent” player.

On the other hand, Arsenal number eight has created four big chances and averages 2.6 key passes each game, according to Sofascore. Although the standard of the league is different, the creativity is there to see.

With Bruno Fernandes getting older, United will need a replacement sooner rather than later. This is not to say he will retire soon. The Red Devils captain is in the prime of his career and has four goals and five assists in 16 Premier League games this season.

However, he is 30 years old, and sooner or later, United will need a replacement. What better way to do so than by signing Nypan and slowly bedding him in, until he is in a position to step into the shoes of the United captain and eventually take over his spot in the XI.

This could be a fantastic piece of business for the Red Devils, and would only strengthen their squad with a talented young player whilst also offering a long-term replacement for Fernandes.

Of course, there would need to be a degree of patience with the teenage prospect, as there was with Amad – who took time to develop before breaking into the team, and he may not arrive at Old Trafford to make an instant impact, but the youngster could be a long-term signing to eventually replace the skipper.