Manchester United battle Man City for midfield signing after formal offer made
Man Utd and Manchester City are both competing to sign the same talented teenage midfielder.
Manchester United are competing with Man City to sign Hearts midfielder Keir McMeekin.
It is understood City are one of the clubs who have already made a formal offer to sign the 15-year-old, who is also attracting interest from both Liverpool and Brighton. The Edinburgh News say McMeekin has yet to make any decision on his future but is aware of the intense interest from several Premier League clubs in his signature.
McMeekin has already visited Manchester with his family, where he was invited on a tour of the City Football Academy and the facilities he could expect if he opted for a move. The Scottish teenager has also visited two other unnamed Premier League teams amid fierce competition to try to sign him.
City would be required to pay a compensation package to Hearts in order to cover his training costs, though the Scottish Premiership side have also put forward their own contract offer as they look to keep hold of one of their most exciting youth prospects. McMeekin would not be allowed to sign a professional contract in Scotland until he turns 16 next February, though he could join an English club before then on scholarship terms.
At the age of 15, McMeekin is already a Scotland U17 international and has earned rave reviews for his performances throughout the various age groups with both club and country. He has most recently featured for the Hearts B team and has also been a regular in first-team training under Derek McInnes and has featured in behind-closed-door senior fixtures.
The teenage midfielder has a difficult decision to make as he weighs up the next step in his journey. While a move to England might seem the obvious next step, several young players have progressed from the club's academy into the first-team squad in recent years and McMeekin could expect senior opportunities earlier if he remained in Scotland.
James Wilson, Adam Forrester, Macaulay Tait, Finlay Pollock and Aidan Denholm have all made the step from youth football to the first-team, and striker Wilson was in a similar situation to McMeekin when he rejected offers from United, Aston Villa and Leeds to sign a professional contract with Hearts at the age of 16. Earlier this year, he became the youngest senior Scotland international in their history when he made got his first cap against Greece at Hampden Park aged 18 years and 17 days.
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