Transfer news: Manchester United make formal enquiries for Anderlecht’s 17-year-old sensation
Transfer news: Manchester United are interested in Anderlecht’s 17-year-old central midfielder Nathan De Cat, with transfer news emerging that the Red Devils face fierce competition from Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich in what is shaping up as a Bundesliga-versus-Premier-League showdown. According to RMC Sport, United have gone beyond passive monitoring and made direct enquiries, with club representatives sent to watch the teenager on multiple occasions in Belgium.
Transfer news: What makes De Cat so sought after?
De Cat has made 36 appearances in all competitions this season, contributing three goals and five assists, and he has established himself as a deep-lying playmaker with outstanding game intelligence, vision, composure, and close control. Standing at 6ft 4in, he carries an imposing physical frame that is rare for a midfielder of his age.
United scouts attended the Anderlecht versus Club Brugge fixture alongside representatives from Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, and Bayern Munich, underlining the scale of interest surrounding him. Anderlecht will seriously consider offers around €35 million, a figure that would set a record for a teenage sale in Belgian football history. His contract runs until 2027, and a sale this summer is widely expected if a suitable bid arrives.
Transfer news: Analysis and valuation verdict
This story tells you a great deal about where United currently sit as a club. Michael Carrick, working closely with the recruitment team, clearly sees De Cat as a long-term foundation piece rather than an immediate solution, and that thinking makes complete sense given how Manchester United have stripped back and rebuilt their squad philosophy.
De Cat’s most impressive trait, beyond his physicality, is his game intelligence for someone his age, and comparisons to Declan Rice are not purely flattering spin. Carrick would know precisely what a composed, ball-winning presence at the base of midfield can do for a team’s structure, having played that role himself.
As for the €35m valuation, it sits in an interesting grey area. Jeremy Doku, Anderlecht’s record sale, left for €26 million in 2020, so De Cat’s fee would shatter that benchmark entirely. Chelsea and Manchester City have since intensified their own interest, which naturally pushes the price higher through basic market competition.
Transfer news: Manchester United eye 6ft 5in £600k centre-back
At 17, with a contract expiring in 2027 and elite European clubs forming a queue, €35m feels aggressive but not absurd. Manchester United, in the current transfer market, have paid more for far less proven commodities, and this transfer news suggests they see genuine value in moving early on generational talent.
