Man Utd and Man City go head-to-head for 'not for sale' star

Tom Hancock

• Updated: 27 Apr 2023 15:49 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United and Manchester City are gearing up to battle it out for Brentford star Aaron Hickey this summer, despite the Bees boss Thomas Frank insisting the versatile full-back is not for sale.

Hickey only joined Brentford from Bologna last summer, in a deal worth €16.5m, but an impressive first Premier League campaign appears to have caught the attention of some of the division’s biggest hitters.

The Scotland international, 20, has made 21 league appearances for the West London side, who stayed comfortably inside the top half of the table with a 2-0 win away to Chelsea on Wednesday night.

READ MORE: Man Utd fear shock Casemiro exit

Although he only came on as a late substitute in that game, Hickey has started the majority of Brentford’s games since returning from an ankle injury in February.

And, according to Football Insider, Man Utd and Man City have both been keeping a close eye on the former Hearts youngster with a view to signing him during the upcoming transfer window.

Hickey currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €22.7m (£20m), but his manager doesn’t seem too worried about losing him just yet.

READ MORE: Haaland just a goal merchant? Man City ace EQUALS Man Utd legend's assist record

Frank has no fear over Hickey's future

Discussing the speculation around Hickey’s future, Frank said: “We will not sell him; he’s not even been here a year.

“With all due respect, I think he’s a very good young player that I think has a fantastic future ahead of him – [but] there needs to be a little bit more to get into the City team in terms of performances.

“I think he’s done well and I really like him; I think he can get up there. Aaron has taken some good steps in the right direction; he is progressing very well, [but] he has a lot of things to improve. We are pleased with his first season, but there’s much more to come from him.”