Manchester United bosses appear to have already given the green light to Southampton wonderkid Tyler Dibling.
The Red Devils have been linked with a move for the Saints youngster after an impressive breakthrough season at St Mary's. The 18-year-old has made 15 appearances for the newly promoted team this season, scoring once and providing two assists.
According to reports, United are keeping a close eye on Dibling but they could face competition from a Premier League rival. It is suggested that Aston Villa are also monitoring the winger.
According to The Sun, both teams have scouted him, with parties in Italy and Germany also interested. It has been suggested that a January deal could be tricky given the vulnerable position Southampton find themselves in, but a move could be on the cards if the club is relegated from the Premier League.
Dibling only signed a new contract with Southampton last year and it has been suggested that the club could try to tie him down to new terms. Southampton boss Russell Martin has previously revealed that United chief Jason Wilcox is a big fan of the youngster.
He said: “He has abilities that I haven't seen in many people. It's a pleasure to watch him play football. He needs to be in an environment where he feels truly trusted and loved, and we absolutely love him.
“The guys in the locker room understand how good he can be, but you can take some of that away [praise] because if we keep telling everyone how good he is, he won't be here much longer!
“Jason Wilcox pushed for us to play him more last season, but he wasn't quite ready yet. It's been wonderful to see Tyler's journey so far and he must continue.”
Dibling has already taken a big step in his career. He started his career within the Southampton academy and joined Chelsea in 2022 for £1.5 million.
But just months later he returned to the south coast. Dibling's former coach at Southampton, David Horseman, claimed he was not quite ready for the move, hence his return.
As quoted by The Athletic, he said: “You have international after international, from the first team to the under-15s at Chelsea and it is a cutthroat environment. Tyler wasn't ready.
“They treat the players nicely there, but if you don't produce, you don't play. It's brutal. It just wasn't the right time for Tyler, and that doesn't have to do with how they would have treated him or his abilities. They are different kids and the culture is different.”
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