Manchester United starlet Tahith Chong is reportedly set to be offered a £35,000-a-week contract plus a mega signing-on bonus by Serie A champions Juventus.
Juventus are set to up the ante in their pursuit of Manchester United youngster Tahith Chong, who is in the final six months of his contract. The Serie A champions are ready to offer a deal worth £35,000 per week along with a £2 million signing-on bonus to sign the 20-year-old in a free transfer in the summer, reports The Sun.
Chong has been with Manchester United since 2016, having joined the Red Devils’ youth setup from Feyenoord. The winger is regarded as one of the most talented young players to have come through the ranks in recent years. And Juventus are on the prowl to sign him on free once his contract expires at the end of the season.
Juventus reaped great rewards when they made a similar swoop for Paul Pogba in the last decade and are hoping to achieve the same success with Chong. To that end, the Bianconeri are putting forth a big financial package to tempt the Dutchman to move to Italy next summer.
Chong, who is now eligible to negotiate with foreign clubs, made his first-team debut for Manchester United in January 2019 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, unlike fellow youth team prospect Mason Greenwood, the 20-year-old hasn’t been able to make a solid impression in the opportunities that have come his way.
Chong has featured seven times for Solskjaer’s side this season, but hasn’t contributed with a goal or an assist. However, the 20-year-old did show glimpses of his immense potential in the FA Cup fixture against Wolves earlier this month.
Despite his failure to get going at the senior level, Manchester United have plenty of faith in Chong’s potential and are willing to offer a new five-year deal. A club source told The Sun, “The club hasn’t given up hope. Tahith knows how highly we rate him.”
“Juventus are apparently pushing quite hard, so it must be quite a difficult time for him. United have consistently shown that young players here don’t need to chase the money elsewhere.”
The report goes on to add that Manchester United are scheduled to sit down with Chong and his representatives in the coming weeks to try and hash out a deal. Manager Solskjaer is also understood to have had a private word with the winger to convince him to sign an extension and stay put at Old Trafford amid serious interest from Juventus.
Chong hasn’t quite lived up to the billing in the handful of chances he has gotten at the top level. However, the Dutchman is brimming with potential, which is why Manchester United are reluctant to lose him. It remains to be seen if the Red Devils persuade him to prolong his stay at the club or if Juventus pull off another major coup by signing him on a free.
