Manchester United are keeping tabs on Sunderland’s sixteen-year-old goalkeeper, Matthew Young, who is attracting interest from England’s biggest clubs.
A report by inews contends scouts from Old Trafford are “monitoring” Young who appears to fit the mould of modern goalkeepers.
Young is “highly-rated” and is considered as adept with the ball at his feet as with it in his hands; a prerequisite to play in Erik ten Hag‘s team.
His agility and reflexes make him a powerful shot-stopper and he appears to possess the requisite confidence top goalkeepers must have.
Though only sixteen, Young has been featuring regularly for the Sunderland U18 team. The youngster even made an impressive first-team debut during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.
Manchester City and Manchester United are tracking Sunderland's 16-year-old English goalkeeper Matthew Young pic.twitter.com/6UarsnvAGM
— FootballNewsDay (@N_ewsFootball) October 13, 2023
Coaches at Sunderland believe Young has the talent to follow in the footsteps of former club goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford. The goalkeeper, now plying his trade for Everton, has firmly established himself as England’s number one, with a string of impressive performances at multiple major tournaments.
An England call-up at youth level is thought to be imminent for Young, with the goalkeeper firmly on the “radar” of the FA.
This interest extends to the club level, where Manchester neighbours, City and United, are both “monitoring” Young. City, in particular, are thought to be acutely interested in the goalkeeper, with scouts “regularly watching” him this season for the U18s team.
However, Sunderland will be in no rush to see Young depart.
The Tyne and Wear club have adopted a policy which prioritises the development of young talent, with Tony Mowbray a well-respected figure in English football in this regard.
Young rejected interest from Wolves in the summer, instead choosing to sign a two-year scholarship contract at the Stadium of Light.
While Sunderland appears to be the perfect environment for Young to continue his development as a goalkeeper, it will be increasingly hard to resist the allure of England’s biggest clubs should his meteoric rise continue.