Manchester United midfield target seen at Old Trafford

Manchester United’s summer recruitment has stretched from marquee first-team arrivals right down to some of the most promising teenage talent in English football.

Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba have transformed Michael Carrick’s midfield options at senior level, with all three now competing directly with Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo for a starting berth.

United’s recruitment staff have simultaneously kept the academy pipeline stocked, having beaten outside interest to sign teenage winger Tynan Thompson from Tottenham’s academy earlier in the window.

That dual approach, strengthening now while still planning years ahead, has extended to one of the most sought-after teenagers outside the Premier League.

Louis Page is believed to have attended United’s 5-2 win over Ipswich Town at Old Trafford, fuelling further speculation over a move that has been building for weeks.

The 18-year-old, an England youth international, has found himself at the centre of significant transfer interest from Arsenal, Aston Villa and United this summer.

Leicester manager Russell Martin has since confirmed a bid for the midfielder has already been turned down, telling reporters, “We turned down an offer for Louis, there’s been a lot of chat all summer about him from various clubs.”

United appear to be edging closer to winning that race, with reports throughout August consistently naming them as front-runners despite Arsenal also tabling an offer.

Louis Page comes from footballing stock, the son of former professional Don Page, and only turned 18 last month having already made 22 senior appearances for Leicester since signing his first professional contract.

He picked up the club’s Apprentice of the Year award last season, a rare bright spot for Leicester as they suffered back-to-back relegations down to League One.

Left-footed but comfortable across central, attacking and defensive midfield roles, Page has drawn praise for his composure in possession and his ability to play through pressure rather than simply clearing his lines under it.

Leicester’s academy has already lost one highly-rated prospect to Manchester’s blue half of the city this year, with 16-year-old winger Jeremy Monga joining City, and United appear keen to repeat that trick with Page.

After playing for Leicester in their goalless draw at MK Dons on Saturday, Page made the trip to Old Trafford to watch United put five past the newly-promoted Tractor Boys.

His brother Ethan posted on Instagram, captioning a photo, “You’ve seen yaniteddddd,” before later sharing a signed shirt appearing to be a match-worn jersey from Saturday’s draw.

Leicester are understood to be holding out for a fee in the region of £10million, even with Martin having previously stated publicly that he does not want to lose the youngster this summer.

Whether Page’s presence at Old Trafford proves to be the final piece before a deal is completed may become clear before Tuesday’s transfer deadline passes.