Manchester United Reportedly Looking To Sign 'New Lionel Messi' After 3 Years Of Monitoring

Manchester United are reportedly looking to sign teenager who has been hailed as the “new Lionel Messi.”

Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United’s legacy have already been instilled in the minds of many soccer fans around the world. Many believe that Ronaldo became the player he is today at United learning a lot of lessons from Sir Alex Ferguson.

But all of that seems to be a thing of the past now, as the Red Devils are now linked to an up and coming teenage star dubbed as the “new Messi.”

According to Gianluca Di Marzio , Manchester United want to sign Monaco striker Pietro Pellegri. The 16-year-old joined Monaco via a £17 million deal ($20.9 million). The said deal made Pellegri the second most expensive 16-year-old in history behind Vinicius Junior, who was signed by Real Madrid for £40 million ($49.4 million). Pellegri didn’t fail to deliver and has been sensational in Ligue 1. In the process, he earned comparisons to Messi and is now drawing interest from other clubs.

However, Pellegri has had his fair share of injuries and has not played a competitive match since September 2018. Despite issues with muscle injuries, reports claim that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still considering Pellegri a target in the upcoming transfer window after monitoring his progress for over three years.

The Red Devils are believed to be listing Pellegri as a top prospect after previous reports stated that the club is expected to be snubbed by Velez Sarsfield ’s ace Thiago Almada. Surprisingly, Almada and Pellegri have one thing in common aside being a target of United, both of them are being dubbed as the new Messi.

Almada burst onto the scene as one of the hottest rising stars in Argentina, having already scored 4 goals in the Argentine Superliga last season. The 19-year-old was also described as a great playmaker and a terrific goal scorer. And after scoring 5 goals in 25 appearances this season, Almada saw himself as a regular for Velez Sarsfield.

Prior to Pellegri, Manchester United were reportedly keen on pursuing Almada. However, it has been said that they could lose the sensational Argentine to their Premier League rivals Manchester City. Sources claim that Almada prefers a move to Man City rather than neighbors Man United because of his idol Carlos Tevez, a former Sky Blues star.

Meanwhile, United are still in an on-going negotiations Borussia Dortmund goal scorer Jadon Sancho, a deal that is considered as one of the biggest moves this summer.