Aheed Abrar
Manchester United leading race to sign 18-year-old Sporting CP forward Abdul Fatawu Issahaku
Manchester United are leading the race to sign 18-year-old Sporting CP forward Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, according to journalist Ed Aarons of The Guardian via GiveMeSport (h/t Manchester Evening News).
The forward is a full-fledged player for the Ghana national team, having already been handed 13 caps for his country. Having been a part of the Black Stars 2022 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, the youngster is expected to travel to Qatar for the World Cup.
Issahaku signed for the Primeira Liga outfit in the summer of 2022. He made his debut for the Portuguese club in September against Rio Ave in the league in a 3-0 victory, coming on for the final 10 minutes.
The 18-year-old has subsequently featured six times for Sporting CP in the 2022/23 season. Ruben Amorim’s team take on Eintracht Frankfurt next in the Champions League to secure a place in the round of 16.
Currently, at United, we have a number of young talented wingers. Jadon Sancho and Antony have already established themselves in world football at the age of 22.
While the former Borussia Dortmund star is struggling for form currently, the Brazilian has quickly found his feet in Manchester. The former Ajax winger scored in his first three consecutive Premier League games for the Red Devils.
Other options at Erik ten Hag’s disposal, who are still a bit inexperienced and raw, include Anthony Elanga and Alejandro Garnacho. The Swede and Argentine have made a place for themselves in the first-team squad this season.
Elanga broke into the team in the previous campaign under Ralf Rangnick and enjoyed regular minutes. Unfortunately, increased competition in the squad has meant that the 20-year-old has not had much game time this season.
Garnacho is a star who has caught a lot of supporters’ eyes. The 18-year-old was brilliant with the youth team in the previous campaign and has shown glimpses of quality when trusted by the Dutch manager.
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Issahaku is a great talent and has the potential to be one of the best with the right training and development. Thus, it is understandable that the Old Trafford side are keeping an eye on him. But it remains to be seen how soon United will pull the trigger to get the 18-year-old.
