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Manchester United are keeping a close eye on Nigeria’s teenage prodigy Ebenezer Harcourt as the FIFA U20 World Cup gets underway in Chile, Footynaija.com reports.
The 15-year-old goalkeeper has become one of the most talked-about youngsters in African football after a string of commanding displays for Nigeria at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt earlier this year.
Harcourt was particularly impresive in the quarter-final against defending champions Senegal, where he denied two penalties in a dramatic shootout and went on to finish the tournament with three clean sheets, conceding only twice in regulation time.
That form has carried him into Nigeria’s starting XI for the U20 World Cup, where coach Aliyu Zubairu has placed remarkable faith in the schoolboy to face experienced opposition from Saudi Arabia, Norway and Colombia.
Harcourt is expected to make history again as the youngest player to start for Nigeria at a FIFA tournament.
The Sporting Lagos product has already broken records at senior level, debuting for the Super Eagles during the African Nations Championship earlier this year with a clean sheet against Congo. His blend of composure, fearlessness and leadership at such a tender age has caught the attention of scouts across Europe, with Manchester United among those now accelerating their interest, according to United In Focus.
Clubs in France, Belgium, Germany and even the Saudi Pro League are also monitoring developments around Harcourt.
However, any transfer decision will most likely be taken after Nigeria’s adventure in Chile.
