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Man United trail bitter PL rivals in the race to sign teenage defender playing in Scotland

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Manchester United are interested in Kerr Smith.

Manchester United are trailing Liverpool in pursuit of 16-year-old Dundee United defender Kerr Smith

According to The Sun (h/t ESPN), Manchester United transfer target Kerr Smith is being pursued by the likes of Liverpool and Everton.

The 16-year-old Dundee United defender has been making waves and has grabbed the attention of several English clubs. Smith has played 11 games across all competitions for the Scottish club. Kerr would be a young addition to the squad and could help the Old Trafford outfit in the long term if nurtured properly. The Scottish professional footballer mainly plays as a centre-back but can also be used as a right-back if the situation demands it.

At the moment fellow Premier League rivals Liverpool are said to be in pole position in the pursuit of the teenage defender. Jurgen Klopp hasn’t been shy of giving deserving youngsters a chance and that could be an intriguing prospect to the Dundee defender.

Kerr Smith is on the radar of Manchester United. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group via Getty Images
Kerr Smith is on the radar of Manchester United. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group via Getty Images)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his team have been under immense pressure after a string of poor results against top clubs. The teenager would have to be ingrained into the team but could save the club millions if he reaches his predicted potential. The Red Devils boasts of some of the top defenders in England like Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Despite this impressive roster, they have leaked an unprecedented number of goals in their recent matches.

According to a report from the Daily Record (h/t Mirror) late in June this year, Smith had a £500,000 release clause in his contract which was signed last December. The youngster was also heavily linked to Leicester City at that time.

Liverpool are in pole position in the pursuit of Dundee United defender Kerr Smith
Liverpool are in pole position in the pursuit of Dundee United defender Kerr Smith

The Red Devils have also been working on bringing in young talent in the last few years. They have brought in the likes of Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri. The club has worked on giving these youngsters loan spells in different clubs to help develop their technical abilities and style of play.

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While Liverpool are being tipped to the signature of Smith, the Red Devils would surely want to try their luck. That being said, our shambolic displays in recent weeks would probably make United fans wish for a signing that is more of a solution in the present rather than one for the future.