Man Utd turn to League One, not Ligue 1, to find next Mbappe

Stuart Telford

• 31 Mar 2024 13:50 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United have identified their first signing of the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era, with the INEOS chief determined to find the next Kylian Mbappe rather than spending big money on a ready-made one.

United have become infamous for their avarice in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, spending lavish sums of money on players who have all too rarely returned on their investment.

Indeed, UEFA recently published a report that showed that Erik ten Hag's squad last season was the most expensive ever assembled. More than an EFL Cup win and third place in the Premier League might have been expected.

READ MORE: Latest Man Utd transfer rumours

In the past, United might have been at the front of the queue to sign a player like Mbappe, but Ratcliffe is reportedly keen to create stars rather than buy them, and has tasked his scouting department with scouring the English lower leagues.

And the first diamond in the rough has reportedly emerged.

— Rob (@nodgers) March 29, 2024

Man Utd 'leading chase' for Dipepa

"Manchester United are leading the chase for Port Vale's highly rated England youth striker Baylee Dipepa," reports The Sun's Alan Nixon. "United's scouts have been told that they have to be at the front of the queue for domestic talent - and Dipepa could be the first of these."

READ MORE: Man Utd’s 10 most expensive transfers of all time

Dipepa, 17, scored three times whilst on youth international duty with England last week, and was back among the goals on Saturday as Port Vale ran out 2-0 winners over Bristol Rovers in League One.

No fee was outlined in the report, but it should prove significantly cheaper than acquiring Mbappe next summer, even if the Paris Saint-Germain star is on a free.

Widely expected to join Real Madrid under freedom of contract, Mbappe will reportedly cost the record European champions €225 million over the course of his five-year contract at the Bernabeu.