Fabrizio Romano: Man Utd Beat Ajax to Deal for ‘Most Promising Young Talent

Manchester united hijacked Ajax’s deal for Sekou Kone to bring the young midfielder to Old Trafford in the summer,

INEOS chiefs moved swiftly to seal a deal for the Mali star in the summer, with the 18-year-old joining from Guidars FC and becoming part of the academy setup at Carrington. His potential was seen as a major factor in getting the deal done after he shone during the Under-17’s World Cup for his nation

in the derby last weekend. The Portuguese coach claimed this was a selection decision, but many questioned whether there was more to the story, given the attacker’s status at the club.

in an interview with Henry Winter days after the derby. He’s since emerged as . He was left out of the Reds’ 4-3 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup midweek, but this was due to illness

Since arriving in Manchester, Kone has become one of the jewels in the academy setup alongside Chido Obi-Martin, another summer arrival who the club signed from Premier league rivals Arsenal to improve their budding young roster.

But Romano has revealed that the Red Devils were forced to act quickly in the summer to seal a deal for Mali, who has been dubbed as Dutch giants Ajax were close to having a deal in place.