Man Utd and Chelsea to fight over the 'next Evan Ferguson'
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 23 Oct 2023 19:40 BST
- 4 min read
Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City are set to battle for Republic of Ireland wonderkid Mason Melia, according to reports, as he continues to be compared to Brighton’s Evan Ferguson.
Melia is just 16 years old and his burgeoning reputation has attracted interest from the Premier League’s biggest clubs.
The aforementioned Ferguson famously snubbed interest from Man Utd - the team he supports - in favour of joining Brighton & Hove Albion from Irish club Bohemians.
READ MORE: Who is Mason Melia? The 'next Evan Ferguson' eyed by Liverpool and Man City
The 18-year-old forward has now been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford, but in order for a deal to happen, Brighton are set to demand a similar fee to the one Chelsea paid for Moises Caicedo (€116m).
In any case, the Seagulls want to keep hold of Ferguson for as long as possible, meaning a deal is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
READ MORE: Liverpool RULED OUT of race to sign €45m Bundesliga star
Melia to the Premier League?
In a bid to avoid a similar situation with Melia, Man Utd are among several clubs keen on landing the young Irishman before he becomes a household name, as per TEAMTalk.
A hat-trick for Saints man Mason Melia for Ireland's MU17 team against Armenia in a 4-0 win 👏
Cork City's Jaden Umeh got Ireland's other goal 🇮🇪#LOI | #LOIAcademy pic.twitter.com/ReaDImN02P— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) October 11, 2023
The St Patrick’s Athletic forward made his senior debut for the club at just 15 and became the League of Ireland’s youngest ever goal-scorer when he found the back of the net against UCD earlier in 2023.
In total, Melia has two goals and one assist in just 113 League of Ireland minutes for St Pat’s and he bagged a hat-trick in a 4-0 win for Republic of Ireland U17s against Armenia U17s last week.
Melia has already spent time on trial at Man City and Chelsea, as per TEAMTalk, while Man Utd also want to take him on trial as they eye a move for the Irishman.
Liverpool were previously linked with a move for the 16-year-old, but links with the Reds have quietened down in recent months, with Chelsea, Man Utd and Man City overtaking them in the race to sign Melia.
