As was rumoured in the January transfer window, Manchester United are now poised to complete their triple signing of academy players from Derby County, via The Athletic.
The unnamed trio are said to be under 15 years of age, making the £750,000 fee almost mouth-watering for the Rams and provides them with a warmly welcomed cash injection.
Usually when a youth player is transferred, a tribunal ruling will map out the figure due through a system which takes into account the number of years the prospect has been trained at the selling academy.
It is understood that Derby have been keen to bypass any tribunal rulings on this occasion, instead opting to sell to United straight up.
As the proposed takeover looks less and less likely, the club are exploring ways to raise funds and selling academy talent may, unfortunately, be a quick solution for now.
The three youngsters will follow in the footsteps of Liam Delap and Kaide Gordon, two top talents nurtured in the Derby academy before being poached by England’s elite – Manchester City and Liverpool in their cases.
Delap signed for the Citizens in a £1m deal last season, he has since featured and scored for Pep Guardiola’s first team. The 18-year-old is highly regarded by City fans already with many supporters calling for his inclusion in the squad to be upped.
Gordon is the most recent departure. He made his switch official in early February and has since made a number of appearances for Liverpool U18s, impressing in his early days.
Derby sealed the loan signing of Man United defender Teden Mengi on transfer deadline day and the teenager has since made two appearances for Wayne Rooney’s side. It is believed Mengi was offered to the Rams as a sweetener for the proposed triple signing which has been in the works for a short while now.
It will be interesting to see what else, if anything, comes of Rooney’s United links in the future.