Manchester United scouts have been busy over the past few months and now they are headed to Qatar for the U17 World Cup.
In the same tournament that saw Sekou Kone earn his Manchester United move two years ago, now there will be a fresh batch of wonderkids vying to catch the eye of Europe’s elite.
It comes one month after United scouts were at the U20 World Cup in Chile, where Gilberto Mora was the undisputed star of the show, although he won’t be in Qatar.
So who are the players United are keeping an eye on for this tournament? United in Focus have spoken with Graeme Bailey to learn the targets of the tournament for the Red Devils.
Felipe Esquivel
One Argentinian player of interest for United, is right winger Felipe Esquivel, who plays for River Plate’s second team.
Esquivel has been described by Bailey as being “a really special player”, explaining that he is expected to feature heavily in the tournament.
United will be watching Esquivel and most of his teammates, given the quality currently in Argentina.
Esquivel turns 17 before next summer, and therefore is a real potential signing for United. Esquivel is the next River Plate winger talent tipped to be huge, which follows United’s interest in Ian Subiabre, the current prospect.
Alynho Haidara
At 17 years old, Alynho Haidara is another United might be considering for summer 2026, and his impeccable seven goals in seven games for Ivory Coast U17 shows how good he is.
Haidara plays for FC Mayence in the Ivory Coast, who are a sister club of FC Mainz in Germany, which means he might be a costly player to sign once he makes the move to the Bundesliga next summer.
Big things are expected with United eyes watching.
Asharaf Loukman Tapsoba
Having only turned 15 in March, Asharaf Loukman Tapsoba is among the youngest player who will be playing at the U17 World Cup in November.
Earlier this year, United in Focus exclusively revealed that United were watching Tapsoba at the U17 AFCON, in which he finished as the top scorer, and now scouts are once again keen.
The star of Burkina Faso’s U17 side he has scored six in seven for his country at this level. United in Focus understands that well placed sources expect Tapsoba to be the “little star of the tournament”.
The 15-year-old striker is already wanted by City Group, BlueCo and Barcelona and United can be added to this list, with a better recent record of recruiting in Africa.
He won’t be moving anytime soon, but roots for a deal could be planted.
Other youngsters to watch out for
Alongside names United are known to be interested in, there are a few players who could catch the eye while the competition is going on.
Chase Adams: American striker Chase Adams has earned the label ‘Baby Haaland’ and currently plays for Colombus Crew 2.
He has 10 goals in 22 MLS Next Pro games and looks to have raw tools of being a wonderful number nine aged 17.
Dell: Despite being named after the popular British TV show character from Only Fools and Horses, Dell is actually a 17-year-old Brazilian currently playing for Bahia U20.
He is another who gets comparisons to Erling Haaland and it will be interesting to see how he fares at the tournament.
Cristian Orozco: Already set to join United in 2026, Cristian Orozco will be in the Colombia side for the tournament which should see United eyes interested.
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