“Would do well to capture his signature” – Man Utd plot transfer for player from Wayne Rooney’s Derby : The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict’ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Manchester United are interested in making a summer move for Derby County winger Malcolm Ebiowei, as per a report from the Daily Mail.

The report states that Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are monitoring the situation of the 18-year-old, with Ebiowei set to become a free agent next month.

Ebiowei featured 16 times in the Championship last season for the Rams, scoring once and providing a further two assists during that time.

He also netted seven times in seven appearances for the club at youth level in the U18 Premier League.

Three of our writers here at FLW have shared their thoughts regarding Manchester United’s interest in the young Derby winger…

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Declan Harte

Man United and Derby will have a more natural relationship due to Wayne Rooney being manager, which does give this move some credence.

The 18-year old has performed extremely well under difficult circumstances with the Rams.

A move to Old Trafford would be a huge step up and it is likely he could even be loaned back out should a deal be completed.

But this would still be a good signing for the Red Devils, with Ebiowei displaying plenty of talent in the Championship this season.

The winger has a bright future ahead of him, so United would do well to capture his signature now.

Josh Cole

Although Ebiowei did manage to show glimpses of his talent at senior level for Derby last season, he may not be ready to make the step up to the Premier League and thus United ought to avoid making a move for him.

Yet to feature in the top-flight during his fledgling career, there is no guarantee that he will be able to cope in this particular division.

Furthermore, when you consider that the Red Devils currently have the likes of Marcus Rashford, Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Elanga at their disposal, Ebiowei will not be able to receive the game-time that he needs to make strides in terms of his development.

Instead of making a move for the teenager, United ought to be focusing on signing players who will be able to make an instant impact in the Premier League next season.

Simmey Hannifin-Donaldson

Given there are numerous Premier League clubs interested, it’s clear that Malcolm Ebiowei has caught the eye during his brief time at Derby County.

It’s hard to say that he’s a necessary signing for Manchester United given the level of talent they already have at Old Trafford in the first team and under 23’s.

However, that doesn’t mean that Ebiowei could not be a good signing for the club given that he has plenty of potential and he is just 18 years old.

It must be said though, that it’s a big ask to go from Derby breakthrough making 16 appearances in the Championship to one of the biggest clubs in the country, and Ebiowei would likely get little to no first team playing time for the Red Devils – at least not immediately.

The reality is, if playing football matches at senior level is Ebiowei’s priority, Manchester United may not be the next best destination for the 18-year-old.