The general trend is that English clubs tend to be scouting young talents from abroad to see if they bring them to their academies and eventual first teams. However with Premier League clubs financially capable of having a bench full of seasoned veterans, that trend may shift down the line, as La Liga sides offer youngsters a route to first-team playing time.
That appears to be the case with Hannibal Mejbri. The 20-year-old, who already has 27 caps for Tunisia, is set for contract talks with Manchester United in the coming weeks, with his current deal up in the summer of 2024.
Speaking to Caught Offside in his Daily Briefing column, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Sevilla were keeping a close eye on events.
“United have an option to extend until June 2025 so there’s no alert, but as I mentioned in September the club is planning to offer him new long term deal to be discussed soon. Sevilla have been monitoring him since July but United are very happy with him.”
That extension option gives United control over the situation ultimately, and chances are, they will work out a deal with Mejbri. However things change quickly in the Premier League, and if talks do not come to fruition, Sevilla may look to be first on the scene.
So far this season, Mejbri has made five appearances, starting twice and accumulating 322 minutes. He also scored his first goal for the club in a 3-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion. If there is one area that might stall talks, it will be Manchester United’s commitment to giving him game time.
