Manchester United and Liverpool have lost out on Nottingham Forest wonderkid Matthew Bondswell, with the player joining RB Leipzig.
The Sun claimed that Manchester United and Liverpool have been beaten in their pursuit of Matthew Bondswell. The Nottingham Forest star has decided to join RB Leipzig instead. The move has also been confirmed by the 16-year-old’s post on his own Instagram account.
Matthew Bondswell was first linked with a move to Manchester United. The Red Devils were scouring two of Nottingham Forest’s best academy stars – Bondswell and Alex Mighten. The rumours had since taken a backseat, with the two continuing their development at the historic English club.
To shed some light on Matthew Bondswell, the teenager is a left-back who has represented England at the Under-16 level while being a regular face in Nottingham Forest’s Under-18 side. The player has been tipped for a bright future. Bondswell though, attracted interest from the Premier League sides, with Manchester United and Southampton linked. Liverpool have now been named as a suitor as well.
Manchester United have always scoured the English clubs for young talent. But, their youth recruitment drive has gathered pace over the last couple of years, with many young gems joining the club at different age levels.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have been barred from making a move for any academy star within England. This forced the Reds to recruit youngsters from all across Europe.
But, RB Leipzig have beaten both the Premier League giants to Bondswell. The Bundesliga club had previously beaten top clubs to Oliver Burke and Dayot Upamecano. Leipzig have established themselves as pioneers of providing first-team opportunities to youngsters, which might have been one of the reasons that made up Bondswell’s mind.
RB Leipzig confirm signing of Nottingham Forest’s teenage defender Matthew Bondswell despite interest from Manchester United, Liverpool and Southampton. #NFFC #RBLeipzig pic.twitter.com/9AHxVkHwjx
— Pete O’Rourke (@SportsPeteO) July 11, 2018
The player seemed emotional while announcing his departure from Nottingham Forest.
Bondswell wrote in his Instagram post, “Today is a difficult day as the time has come for me to say goodbye to the place that has been my home for 8 amazing years. I’ve had a fantastic time at Nottingham Forest, leaving behind a great football club with great people.”
“Sadly, my time has come to move onto a new chapter, however the club, the players, the coaches, the staff, everyone in the Forest family will always have a special place in my heart for the way they have helped me and treated me.”
“A big thank you goes out to all the top coaches and players who have guided me and helped me become the player and person I am over this period of time and I wish them all the best of luck in their future careers.”
Bondswell’s departure will not only be a blow to Nottingham Forest, but to the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool as well. The youngster though, is not the only Forest star on the radar of big clubs, with Ben Brereton also commanding considerable interest in his services.