Jason Wilcox is at the heart of Manchester United’s chase for one potential transfer this summer, with the director ‘driving’ a deal forward.
Manchester United’s recruitment team, led by Jason Wilcox, are looking to strengthen Ruben Amorim’s squad for next season by focusing on young, energetic talent.
While experienced players like Matheus Cunha—who brings a solid track record at the top level—are still part of the plan, the club is increasingly prioritising promising young prospects with high potential to develop at Old Trafford.
This strategic shift is reflected in recent acquisitions such as Sekou Kone, Chido Obi, and Ayden Heaven, signaling a move away from the previous trend of signing older, high-wage players.
Among the most exciting prospects currently linked with the club is Franco Mastantuono, a 17-year-old Argentine prodigy from River Plate. Already a regular in the senior squad, Mastantuono has played in several key matches in recent months and impressed many clubs across Europe.
Wilcox driving deal for Mastantuono
A fresh report from TBR Football has explained that United are long-term admirers of Mastantuono and have held talks with the player’s representatives.
It was also explained that Wilcox, the technical director at Old Trafford, is the man driving the deal for United and that he wants the club to secure the youngster’s signature.
United surprised everyone when they landed the signing of Leny Yoro last summer and a deal for Mastantuono seems like it would be similar to that of the French defender.
However, the aforementioned report also added that Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City have also spoken to Mastantuono’s agents and are interested in him. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are also in the picture.
Mastantuono perfectly fits INEOS recruitment strategy
As mentioned previously, Yoro was a statement signing last summer driven by Omar Berrada and the youngster’s qualities have shone through despite a difficult season at Old Trafford.
If you are going to focus on youth recruitment, as United seem to be doing, you have got to secure the best of the best in terms of talent and Mastantuono, described as “incredible” by Enzo Fernandez, seems like he’s exactly that.
Of course, the teenager is less of an immediate and guaranteed success than Yoro simply because he has only played in Argentina so far, but it feels clear that he has the potential to become a world-class player.
United might not have too many bargaining tools right now for players due to the situation they are in, but these young players will base their decisions on the development plan and projects placed in front of them.
That is where the Reds can try and convince these kind of players, as they did with Yoro last year.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.