Man Utd striker coach Benni McCarthy lets slip on Erik ten Hag midfield target

Manchester United forward coach Benni McCarthy appears to have let slip that Erik ten Hag is indeed looking to sign USMNT midfielder Taylor Booth from Utrecht in Holland. Reports have claimed in the past few days that the 22-year-old is a player under serious consideration at Old Trafford but the rumours have been met with scepticism in some quarters of United’s fan base as Chelsea continue to play hardball over Mason Mount.

Nonetheless, speaking in an interview with 947 Joburg, United coach McCarthy appears to have confirmed that the player is of interest to Ten Hag.

He said when explaining how his move to Old Trafford came about: “Ten Hag spoke to my agent Rob Moore about an American player in Holland, who my agent also managed.

“They were speaking about that and once the conversation ended, he said to him, ‘By the way, how’s Benni?'”

While there are other American players in the Eredivisie, United appear to have been monitoring Booth since last summer.

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The attacking midfielder scored twice and picked up four assists in 25 league outings last season but he is still considered to be a top prospect.

Ten Hag also knows the Dutch top-flight like the back of his hand and he is believed to have been impressed by Booth’s development since he joined the club from Bayern Munich.

Booth moved to Europe in 2019 when he signed from MLS side Real Salt Lake before switching to Utrecht in 2022.

He has already picked up two caps from the USMNT and is expected to have a big future within the game as he seeks to make his mark in Europe.

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Interestingly, United have just sold Zidane Iqbal to Utrecht which could bolster their chances of striking a deal for Booth in the future.

United have included a 40 per cent sell-on clause plus a buy-back option within the deal which means the club could seek to re-sign the Iranian in the future.

Ten Hag is still striving to sign Mount from Chelsea but the Blues will not budge on their £65million asking price.

Much like Booth, Ten Hag first set eyes upon Mount in Holland when he was impressed with the England international’s performances on loan at Vitesse.

The club’s latest bid was worth up to £55m but Chelsea are continuing to demand more cash and have even offered to meet in person to find a resolution.

United are now believed to have cooled their interest and are ready to pursue alternative targets.

Adrien Rabiot has been under serious discussions but the Juventus midfielder now looks set to extend his stay in Italy.

Rabiot had also been the subject of talks last August but his wage demands were considered to be excessive.

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