Manchester City have now swooped in and submitted an opening offer for a Manchester United target, amid widespread interest from rival Premier League clubs.
Man City looking to get one over on their bitter rivals
There has undeniably been a power shift in Manchester since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, with City breaking the record by winning three Premier League titles on the spin, and the gap between the two clubs was on show earlier this month.
Pep Guardiola’s side ran out emphatic 3-0 winners against Man United at the Etihad Stadium, with Erling Haaland bagging a brace after Phil Foden opened the scoring.
Not only have City often gotten the better of their rivals on the pitch in recent times, but they have also become a more attractive destination for new signings, with Gianluigi Donnarumma opting for a move to the Etihad, despite interest from Ruben Amorim’s side.
Earlier this week, it was also revealed the Blues have moved into pole position in the race for another key Man United target, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown, and they are now looking to beat their rivals to the signature of an up-and-coming prospect.
That is according to a report from Edinburgh News, which states Man City have now made an offer for Hearts midfielder Keir McMeekin, who has been attracting plenty of interest from Premier League clubs.
United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool have also expressed interest in signing the 15-year-old, who is currently weighing up his options, having travelled for talks with City and two other unnamed Premier League sides.
Hearts are eager to keep hold of the highly-rated youngster, having tabled an attractive contract offer of their own, but it remains to be seen whether he is willing to commit his future to the Scottish Premiership side.
"Creative" McMeekin is one for the future
Evidently, the Scottish youngster is still in the infancy of his career, but he is clearly held in high regard at club and international level, having already made his debut for the Scotland U17 side.
Journalist Joel Sked also rates the teenager very highly, describing him as a “creative” player, and “one of the most promising talents in the Hearts academy”, which explains the interest from a whole host of Premier League clubs.
At just 15, McMeekin is one for the future, but Man City should be well-placed to win the race for his signature, given that they are clearly still levels above their major rivals, as evidenced by the 3-0 victory earlier this month.
The Hearts ace may be some way off first-team level, but Guardiola is also keen on bringing in a central midfielder capable of making an instant impact, having identified Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlovic as a replacement for Rodri.
