United tracking Ryan Gravenberch ahead of potential summer swoop

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Manchester United are scouting midfield targets ahead of the summer transfer window and Ryan Gravenberch is reportedly among them.

Of course, it is not clear who the new manager will be, or what level of European competition United will be playing in next season.

But the Athletic have named the Ajax teenager as one player who is being scouted with the forthcoming transfer window coming into view.

Of course, his current boss Erik ten Hag has nurtured his development at Ajax, and if he was in the Old Trafford hotseat, that should boost the chances of landing the Dutch international teenager.

It won’t be easy

United were first linked with Gravenberch in October 2020, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was still in charge at Old Trafford.

We wrote then that Ajax would no doubt be keenly pointing to the bad experience Donny van de Beek has had after making the move from Amsterdam to Manchester.

There is another complication with Gravenberch which could make a move to United unlikely. Gravenberch’s agent is Mino Raiola, who represents Paul Pogba and has been difficult to deal with.

Raiola’s involvement does not make a swoop any easier, and the Athletic report says that as it stands, the midfielder is more likely to join Bayern Munich, where his agent has strong connections.

Comparisons to Pogba

Gravenberch is a central midfielder who can play a more holding role and it looks like Pogba is set to vacate that area this summer.

And United legend Edwin van der Sar has already compared the teenager to Pogba, as per Tuttosport.

“Gravenberch is a midfielder: he is strong, physical, technical and tall,” Van der Sar said.

“Let’s say that there is some similarity [with Pogba], but we don’t put too much pressure on Ryan. He’s a boy from 2002.”

It has not worked out for Pogba – or van de Beek – at Old Trafford and United need a new face to transform their midfield.

Gravenberch is one of the most highly-rated young midfielders in Europe, but there are plenty of barriers to signing him – although landing ten Hag as manager would help.