Manchester United are said to be closing in on signing U.S. youth international Matthew Olosunde.
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Olosunde, 17, is a product of the New York Red Bulls academy and the defender has been training with the Red Devils on and off over the past five months after completing a trial with the Premier League giants in July.
The Daily Mail reports that United are keen to wrap up a deal for Olosunde and are awaiting a work permit and international clearance so they can formally offer him a contract.
After first linking up with United during their preseason tour of the U.S., Olosunde can operate either at right back or center back and has apparently impressed United’s staff as a right back.
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He has been a part of the U.S. youth setup since the U-13 age group, and the Trenton, New Jersey native would carry on the rich soccer heritage in his area with the likes of Tim Howard, Jozy Altidore, Tony Meola, John Harkes and Tab Ramos all hailing from close to where he grew up. Add in Matt Miazga’s meteoric rise to the U.S. national team and a regular for the Red Bulls this season has seen RBNY’s academy praise nationwide.
If Olosunde was to sign for United at a young age, it would be terrific for the USMNT and Jurgen Klinsmann to have yet another youngster making his way in the Premier League system.
DeAndre Yedlin is currently getting regular minutes at Sunderland on loan from Tottenham, while 17-year-old U.S. U-23 center back Cameron Carter-Vickers is making waves at Tottenham Hotspur, plus Gedion Zelalem is at Arsenal and Lynden Gooch is at Sunderland. What Major League Soccer may think about losing yet another bright prospect overseas remains to be seen, but if United come calling, how hard must it be to stop a talented youngster from joining Louis van Gaal’s side?
Expect to hear plenty more about Olosunde as the defender continues his rise through the U.S. youth setup and could seen be nurtured at United.
Below is a video from March this year where Olosunde speaks briefly about playing for the U.S. U-17 side under Richie Williams.
