Who is Tyler Dibling? The Southampton wonderkid wanted by Man Utd

Cameron Smith

• 23 Sept 2024 15:30 BST
• 5 min read

Manchester United are among the teams interested in signing Southampton wonderkid Tyler Dibling following his impressive start to the 2024-25 season.

The teenager, who spent one month on Chelsea’s books before returning to Southampton in 2022, has broken into the Saints’ first-team this campaign and he is now on the radar of multiple Premier League clubs.

But, who is Dibling and how good can he become?

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What position does Tyler Dibling play?

Dibling is a versatile attacker, who is capable of playing as a number 10 or a right winger - similar to Cole Palmer.

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How good is Tyler Dibling?

Dibling is one of the most talented players in England’s youth set-up and he appears destined to reach the very top of European football.

In April 2022, he went viral for scoring a hat-trick of virtually identical goals against Newcastle United in the Premier League 2, and he joined Chelsea that summer.

However, he reportedly felt like an outsider at Stamford Bridge and he returned to Southampton just one month later.

Following his return to St Mary’s, Dibling made his senior debut for Southampton against Gillingham in August 2023, but he only featured once during the club’s promotion-winning season from the Championship.

However, Russell Martin decided to immediately hand him a first-team role upon the Saints’ promotion back to the Premier League.

Dibling won a penalty against Man Utd on his first top flight start, while he scored his first senior goal during a 1-1 draw versus Ipswich Town on 21 September.

After receiving the ball from Adam Lallana inside the Ipswich penalty area, Dibling produced a sublime first touch to take the ball past Jacob Greaves and he slotted the ball into the bottom corner with effortless panache.

After his performance against the Tractor Boys, Southampton boss Martin told Times Series: “He can do things that not many other players I’ve ever seen can do. I love working with him. I love watching him play.

“I would pay a lot of money to watch him play football. And, fortunately, I’m the guy that gets to work with him and try to develop him.”

Dibling possesses immense close control and dribbling skills, while he has frequently been compared to Jack Grealish due to his style of play and his incredibly low socks.

What clubs are interested in Tyler Dibling?

Man Utd are leading a group of Premier League clubs interested in signing Dibling.

Southampton are eager to tie him down to a long-term contract, but he is currently being monitored by Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, in addition to Man Utd, according to HITC.

However, after his first senior goal, Martin admitted: “When you're 18 and you play in the Premier League to the level he's played at, I think every club in the world probably looks at you.

“He's ours. The club has turned down bids for him since I've been here.

“The speculation is nothing for him or for me. We are in a strong position. I'm sure we will look at securing that and strengthening that even more because if he carries on doing what he's doing then he will deserve that.”

How old is Tyler Dibling?

Dibling was born on 17 February 2006. He is 18 years old at the time of writing.

When does Tyler Dibling’s contract expire?

Dibling’s current Southampton contract runs until 30 June 2025.

What is Tyler Dibling’s Instagram?

Dibling’s Instagram account is @tylerdibling. He has 27.8k followers as of September 2024.