Manchester United are reportedly set to hold key talks with youngster Tahith Chong over his future, amid serious interest from Serie A champions Juventus.
According to a report from Metro, Manchester United will hold crunch talks with the representatives of teenage prodigy Tahith Chong this week as they look to stave off interest in the winger from Italian champions Juventus and tie him down to a new long-term contract at the club.
Chong is in the final year of his current contract with Manchester United, which has piqued the interest of Juventus. The Bianconeri have made it a habit of securing top talent on free transfers in recent years, a policy that has proved to be very beneficial for them.
The Serie A champions had signed Paul Pogba from Manchester United back in 2012 on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract and then sold him back to the Red Devils in 2016 for a hefty fee of £89 million. Having recruited Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot for nothing in the summer, Juventus now have their eyes on Chong ahead of next summer’s window.
Chong has been with the Manchester United academy since 2016, having signed from Dutch outfit Feyenoord. Regarded as one of the top talents in the youth ranks, the 19-year-old made his first-team debut in January 2019 in an FA Cup tie against Reading FC.
Since then, Chong has gone on to make seven more appearances for the Manchester United senior team, four of which have come in the ongoing campaign. However, he hasn’t been able to make a great impression in the few opportunities that he has got with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
But, the Manchester United hierarchy remain convinced that the winger has what it takes to become a pivotal member of the first-team in the years to come and as a result, are prepared to fight tooth and nail to keep him at the club beyond the length of his current contract.
Chong is currently on a basic wage at Manchester United, but the Red Devils have already put forth a new deal worth £25,000-a-week including bonuses, which will be a major upgrade on his present earnings.
Earlier reports had claimed that the winger was dead set on a move away from Old Trafford, but that is not the case, as per the report from Metro. However, Manchester United still face a battle to convince the teenager to put pen to a new deal, although Solskjaer’s faith in him and his propensity to give youth a chance in the first-team might tilt the scales in the club’s favour.
