It is no secret that Manchester United have been chasing a striker for quite a while. Manager Jose Mourinho is not 100% certain that Zlatan Ibrahimovic will remain at the club beyond the summer. The club has been chasing a number of forwards, who play in some of the top leagues across Europe. United understand that competition will be intense for the top rated players. It has proven to be the case with regard to Joaquin Ardaiz. The 18-year-old plays for Uruguayan outfit Danubio. He has been tipped for a bright future, just like many of the youngsters from South America. Media outlets have named Ardaiz (New Suarez) the proper heir to the throne of Luis Suarez if he manages to progress as expected.
Even after the EFL Cup success over Southampton, Ibrahimovic was once again the topic of the debate. Mourinho gave his hopes that the striker would stay at the club, while the future of record goal scorer Wayne Rooney is also uncertain. Rooney was recently linked with a move to China even as early as the end of this week. However, he just recently confirmed that he will be staying at United until at least the end of the season.
Ardaiz came through the ranks at Danubio and he recently moved to Tanque Sisley on a loan deal. Despite being only 18 years old, he has already featured for the Uruguayan under 20 national team on 12 occasions since making his debut in 2016. Even though he has only managed a return of four goals in the 12 matches, he has been credited with bringing others into play. Lack of goals has been a feature of his games in the Campeonato Uruguayo Especial. He has only managed to score 2 goals in the 10 league matches while returning three goals. He has contributed two assists.
However, Ardaiz has been so highly rated that his transfer valuation is around £25 million. There was a possibility of Ardaiz facing work permit issues, but it is unlikely to be such a problem when it is concerned with such a high transfer fee. United are not the only club trying to sign the 18-year-old. The likes of Chelsea, Barcelona, FC Porto, and Manchester City have all been taking a look at the player. Chelsea are thought to be the firm favourites to sign him, as they have moved ahead in the queue. The club has recent success with regard to South American players like Oscar. They still have a strong contingent of South American players with the likes of David Luiz.
