Revealed: Tottenham make last-ditch bid to ambush Man United starlet signing
Tottenham have made a last-ditch bid to hijack Man United’s deal for Sunderland rising star Joe Hugill, Football Insider has learned.
The 16-year-old striker has agreed personal terms with the 20-times Premier League champions as he closes in on a blockbuster summer move.
A Tottenham source has told Football Insider that the club have been trailing Hugill closely in recent months and have made him a contract offer.
But it is expected that the teenager will snub Spurs’ interest as he has his heart set on a move to Old Trafford.
This site revealed yesterday that Hugill has agreed a initial scholarship deal with United that will converted into a professional contract when he turns 17 in October.
The deal is not yet complete as the Premier League giants must finalise compensation terms with Sunderland.
The north-east outfit are entitled to training and development costs for a player they have brought through their ranks.
It is expected that the fee will eventually be settled at around the £300,000 mark given Hugill’s age and the fact his youth contract is about to expire.
For Tottenham, it would be a blow to miss out on a striker who has been on the radar of elite clubs in England and across Europe this season as a result of his performances for Sunderland’s youth teams.
He was promoted to their Under-23s from the Under-18s in February and had scouts beating a path to the Academy of Light after marking his Premier League 2 debut in February with two goals against West Ham in a 4-2 loss.
Tottenham have an impressive track record of developing young players, both from their own academy and those they have signed at a young age from rival clubs and nurtured into first-team stars.
The Londoners paid bid money for two teenagers last summer, as they bought Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham for £25million and Jack Clarke from Leeds United for an initial £9.5million rising to £13m.
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