“Heartbreaking” – As Newcastle United and Chelsea were defeated by Manchester United in the pursuit of a sensational winger, as a midfielder transfer is forthcoming

Manchester United have secured a new contract with 16-year-old winger Bendito Mantato, following significant interest from several Premier League clubs.

Mantato has executed a scholarship agreement with Manchester United that includes a pre-contract agreement that will be activated upon his 17th birthday. According to the Manchester Evening News, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Brighton were among the clubs that expressed interest in Mantato.

Newcastle was interested in the youthful winger; however, they would have been obligated to pay Manchester United a six-figure compensation fee.

Manchester United and Newcastle United have recently reached an agreement regarding the compensation charge for sporting director Dan Ashworth.

Ashworth secured the future of one of the club’s top academy prospects and supervised the signing of a new contract for head coach Erik ten Hag during his first week at Old Trafford. Manchester United’s confidence in Mantato’s potential to become a first-team player is demonstrated by the inclusion of a pre-contract agreement in the scholarship award.

The winger scored six goals in seven Under-18 Premier League matches for Manchester United during the 2023-24 campaign, including four in a 5-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers in March.
During the season, he also made his Premier League 2 debut for the Under-21s and was capped for England at the Under-16 level.
Although Newcastle did not secure Mantato, the club has been actively recruiting academy players this summer.