Manchester United are tracking AS Roma’s midfield prodigy Lorenzo Pellegrini and reports from The Corriere dello Sport (h/t The Sun) indicate that the Red Devils’ scouts are watching him keenly.
United representatives were present at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday night to watch Roma play Verona. Although it was thought that the robust Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan was the subject of their glances, it was Pellegrini who caught the eye with another energetic display.
United have been watching Pellegrini regularly, who came through Roma’s academy and made his senior debut in 2015.
The Italy Under21 international is making big waves in the Serie A by carving a niche for himself at Roma this season. He was sent to Sassuolo on loan last season and it was under current Roma boss Eusebio Di Francesco that he started earning rave reviews.
The two-year loan deal at Sassuolo has made him a better player and a regular with Italy’s youth sides from Under-19 level onwards. He even won his first senior cap in a recent World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein – a clear indicator that the 21-year-old has caught the eye of his national team manager.
Roma know that the youngster is in great demand and have tied the player down to a new deal over the summer until the end of the 2021-22 season. They rate him at £25million after making him one of their best-paid players, on a £35,000-a-week deal.
Mourinho is reported to have been aware of the youngster’s potential after seeing him first hand in the European U21 Championships this summer. One of the highlights of the tournament was Pellegrini’s bicycle kick in a 2-0 win over Denmark which caught the Portuguese tactician’s eye.
It is being reported that United are happy with the improvement shown by the player this season at Roma. The Red Devils apparently are convinced that the player will become a future star and Mourinho is keen on making him one of his priorities for next summer.
United have started improving their youth recruitment over the past one year, with a clear emphasis on players with high future potential. Pellegrini’s profile fits perfectly with our policy and he has all the attributes to be a success at Old Trafford.
