Manchester United to Sign Teenage Wonderkid Ahead of Rivals Arsenal

​Manchester United have beaten Arsenal to the signature of AS Monaco wonderkid Hannibal Mejbri, after agreeing a fee of around €10m for the midfielder.

The 16-year-old will become United's third signing of the summer, following the arrival of Daniel James from Swansea and Crystal Palace full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. 

Mejbri is widely regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in world football, and according to ​L'Equipe, the Red Devils had to fight off competition from the Gunners in order to land his signature.

He'll be leaving Monaco under a cloud, though, having been involved in a contract dispute with the former Ligue 1 champions - a situation that arose when he became aware of Manchester United's interest.

Monaco signed Mejbri for €1m when he was just 14-years-old, so a deal that will earn them ten times that amount represents excellent business. Man Utd had oped to negotiate a far cheaper deal, but Les Monégasques stood firm in negotiations - with United opting to bow to their demands, rather than open the door for Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Signing incoming at Manchester United. Jorge Mendes has been at Carrington to discuss a £9m deal for Hannibal Mejbri from Monaco. Ed Woodward and Matt Judge have also been in attendance at Carrington ⚫️

— Dominic King (@DominicKing_DM) July 31, 2019

It's claimed the Gunners were prepared to rival the offer on the table for Mejbri, but United's haste in getting a deal agreed meant that negotiations were at an advanced stage - leaving Unai Emery's side no chance of agreeing terms of their own/

The talented youngster will be part of the Under-18 squad at Old Trafford, though many eyes will be on him this season as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to rejuvenate United and return them to their former glory. 

Source : 90min