Arsenal scout defender for 6 months, Manchester United now interested | OneFootball

Arsenal, Manchester United and Brighton are competing for the signature of Rangers u16 full-back Jack Wylie but Arsenal have been on his trail for much longer than the others.

Arsenal continue to be linked with a move for Ranger’s 15-year-old defender, Jack Wylie, with Manchester United now also said to be ‘locked in a transfer race’ with the Gunners.

Rangers are obviously keen to keep the defender, who can also play in midfield, but it’s clear there’s a lot of interest in him from elsewhere, most notably the Premier League.

Last week, Charlie Parker-Turner of the Express reported that Brighton had also joined the race to sign Wylie.

The Daily Record reported in October that Arsenal were leading the race for Wylie, having sent scouts to watch him regularly.

The Gunners also reportedly sent football operations manager Lee Herron to watch Wylie for the Scotland u16s in a friendly match against Denmark in September.

According to the Daily Star, United manager, Erik ten Hag, has also sent scouts north on several occasions to check Wylie out. Arsenal, however, have been doing that for the last six months.

Wylie turns 16 on January 1st, so he’s currently ineligible for a long-term deal.

It’s the same situation Arsenal are facing with Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who are playing so well but are too young for professional terms.

In Wylie’s case, his lack of a long-term deal benefits the Gunners, who may be able to snap him up for no more than a compensation package for Rangers – usually in the hundreds of thousands rather than the millions you’d expect for a player under contract.

Leeds United are another club reportedly in the mix, with Football Insider writing in October that they’d joined the race.

We’ll see if Arsenal can fight off the competition and secure Wylie’s signature.