Birmingham City closing in on sealing deal for Manchester United prospect | OneFootball

Birmingham City are closing in on sealing a loan move for Manchester United prospect Hannibal Mejbri, according to a report from the Manchester Evening News.

It is understood that the Blues have managed to fight off competition from Millwall and Middlesbrough for the 19-year-old’s signature.

West Bromwich Albion were also considering a move for Mejbri earlier this summer before opting to switch their attention to other targets.

Barring a late twist, Mejbri will follow in the footsteps of fellow United academy products Tahith Chong and Teden Mengi by making the switch to St Andrew’s.

Chong and Mengi both featured for Birmingham in the Championship last season.

The Tunisia international made his debut for United on the final day of the 2020/21 campaign.

Since achieving this personal milestone, Mejbri has featured on two further occasions at senior level for the Red Devils.

Mejbri is set to become Birmingham’s sixth signing of the transfer window.

As well securing the services of John Ruddy on a permanent deal, the Blues have bolstered their squad by turning to the loan market for inspiration.

Krystian Bielik, Auston Trusty, Przemyslaw Placheta and Dion Sanderson have all joined the club on temporary deals.

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The Verdict

It will be interesting to see whether Mejbri will be able to quickly adapt to life in the Championship as he has yet to make an appearance at this level during his career.

Having featured in a number of different midfield roles during his youth career, the teenager will unquestionably add some versatility to Birmingham’s squad.

Providing that Mejbri goes on to feature week-in, week-out for the Blues, he is likely to make considerable strides in terms of his development before returning to Old Trafford.

Whereas Birmingham’s clash with Watford tomorrow may come too soon for Mejbri, he could potentially make his debut for the club when they take on Wigan Athletic on August 20th.