MX23RW : Monday, May 20 12:29:49| >> :60:31:31:

Manchester United 'in a strong position to sign Italian wonderkid'

Man Utd 'in a strong position to sign Italian wonderkid'
© Reuters
Simone Pafundi, who is on loan at Lausanne Sport from Udinese, could reportedly make the move to Manchester United in the near future.

Italian teenager Simone Pafundi could reportedly make the move to Manchester United in the near future.

The 18-year-old is contracted to Italian giants Udinese, but he is currently on loan at Swiss Super League outfit Lausanne Sport, and he is expected to join the club on a permanent basis this summer.

Lausanne are believed to be able to sign him permanently for €15m (£12.9m), and according to Tuttomercatoweb, the Swiss outfit are preparing to trigger the clause.

The report, though, claims that Pafundi is destined to make the move to Man United in the not too distant future due to the presence of Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The British billionaire has recently taken over the football department at Old Trafford, with his deal to become a minority shareholder of the 20-time English champions being confirmed earlier this year.

Manchester United co owner Jim Ratcliffe is seen in the stands before the match on January 14, 2024© Reuters

Man United 'in pole position to bring Simone Pafundi to Old Trafford'

Ratcliffe and his INEOS team also own Lausanne, and it is believed that the plan is for Pafundi to make the switch to Man United, either this summer or potentially in 2025.

Pafundi made his professional debut for Udinese at the age of 16, and he has represented the Italian side on 11 occasions in all competitions.

The attacker moved to Lausanne on loan in January, and he has now featured 14 times for the Swiss outfit, scoring once and providing two assists in the process.

Pafundi is also a full Italy international, making his debut for the national team against Albania in November 2022, although he has not been selected since.

Nice owner Jim Ratcliffe before the match on April 20, 2023© Reuters

Sir Jim Ratcliffe expected to target young players for Man United

Man United's big-money purchase of veteran midfielder Casemiro in the summer of 2022 is a deal that was allegedly questioned by Ratcliffe during the takeover talks.

Ratcliffe is said to be determined to move away from a strategy of overpaying for established stars, with the 20-time English champions now expected to focus on younger players.

There will be a number of outgoings this summer, but the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund are thought to be seen as a key part of the club's plans moving forward.

Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane could allegedly be the first four players to leave Old Trafford this summer.

Anthony Martial is also set to depart on a free transfer, with the Red Devils looking to build a team which is capable of competing for major trophies once again.

ID:543234:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect4904:

Click here for more stories about Simone Pafundi

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag on April 21, 2024
Read Next:
Man Utd 'draw up three-man shortlist of Ten Hag replacements'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CManchester CityMan City38287396346291
2Arsenal38285591296289
3Liverpool382410486414582
4Aston Villa382081076611568
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs382061274611366
6Chelsea381891177631463
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle381861485622360
8Manchester UnitedMan Utd38186145758-160
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham381410146074-1452
10Crystal Palace381310155758-149
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton381212145562-748
12Bournemouth38139165467-1348
13Fulham38138175561-647
14Wolverhampton WanderersWolves38137185065-1546
15Everton38139164051-1140
16Brentford38109195665-939
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3899204967-1832
RLuton TownLuton3868245285-3326
RBurnley3859244178-3724
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd38372835104-6916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!