According to latest reports, Manchester United are set to complete the signing of Cardiff City’s boy wonder Gabriele Biancheri. The young striker has been attracting plenty of interest for several top English sides with Chelsea even trying to sign him last summer, but the Red Devils have won the race for his signature.
Man United have made some smart investments to improve their youth outfit in recent years. The academy signed Marc Jurado from FC Barcelona, Alvaro Fernandez from Real Madrid, and Alejandro Garnacho from Atletico Madrid in September 2020. Isak Hansen-Aarøen joined from Tromsø in 2021.
Fernandez has been excellent on loan at Preston North End. The left-back has made 26 appearances in the Championship and EFL Cup this season so far (stats via Transfermarkt). Jurado, Hansen-Aarøen, and Garnacho were all pivotal for the U-18 United side that won the Youth FA Cup last summer.
In fact, the latter has become a reliable player for the first team under Erik ten Hag. Garnacho has 3 goals and 5 assists from 24 games in all competitions for the senior team. The 18-year-old has been used as a left-winger in the absence of Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial.
As reported by Manchester Evening News, Cardiff City striker Gabriele Biancheri is set to join Manchester United after agreeing a long-term contract with the club. The youngster has already passed his medical and him joining as a scholar is now imminent.
Talented 2006-born striker Gabriele Biancheri has confirmed he's leaving Cardiff City – deal completed to join Manchester United academy 🔴🏴🤝🏻 #MUFC @academyarenautd
Medical tests already done, four year contract in place as Man Utd win competition over 2-3 English clubs. pic.twitter.com/OtbXWtmjXN
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 18, 2023
The 16-year-old will initially sign as a scholar before penning a four-year professional contract with the Red Devils when he turns 17 in November, as reported by Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. United are now waiting for FIFA’s approval to close the deal.
Who is Gabriele Biancheri, The New Manchester United Wonder-Kid Signing?
The signing of Gabriele Biancheri represents a move in the right direction for the United academy. The young attacker had 16 goals and 10 assists for the Cardiff City u-16 side last season. He has 17 goals in age-group-level games this season.
The 16-year-old has turned out for the Wales youth sides in the past. Since his debut in 2022, Biancheri has 3 appearances for the Wales U-17 side. However, the youngster is also eligible to play for England or Italy in the future.
U18 | What a finish this was from young #Bluebird Gabriele Biancheri! 💙
📺 Watch the highlights from Saturday's 5-1 victory on @CardiffCityTV!#CityAsOne pic.twitter.com/eLQqa5cJpG
— Cardiff City Academy (@CF11Academy) April 6, 2022
Biancheri has been described as a “pacy, sharp, and dynamic” forward. He generally plays as a striker but can be deployed across the frontline, or even as a 10. The young striker has a great eye for goal and is adept at receiving the ball in front of defenders.
Cardiff U-18 manager Steve Jenkins was full of praise for the young striker in an interview last month. He told Wales Online (via Tribal Football):
“There’s a long way to go with him being only 16, but he’s been fantastic stepping up.
“Goals are brilliant for him, and his two against Bristol City to win us the game earned that call up to the U21s, and when he had his 45 minutes for them I was really impressed.”
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Gabriele Biancheri is likely to feature for the U-23 and U-18 sides at Manchester United. The 16-year-old will join as a scholar, as he cannot sign a professional deal until he turns 17. However, the Premier League side intend to tie the Wales striker down to a long-term deal as soon as possible.
The Red Devils have been desperately looking for a long-term striker for a while now. Dutch international Wout Weghorst was signed in the January transfer window on a loan deal. The former Wolfsburg striker is a quality stop-gap option, but United need more stability in the long run. With the right development, Gabriele Biancheri could just be that guy.
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