After the club turned down interest in moving the striker, Joe Hugill is about to sign a new and better deal with Manchester United.
Hugill, 19, has played in four Premier League 2 games this season and has scored three goals and assisted one. He is destined for a successful senior career, and United think the Durham native can establish himself in the first squad at Old Trafford.
The striker, who was 16 at the time, was signed by United for an eye-catching £300k sum from Sunderland, beating off bids from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Tottenham. He has performed well for the club’s younger systems and is now a starter for their Under-21 de facto reserve squad.
Hugill was one of three Manchester United youths who signed a loan agreement with National League team Altrincham in January. In 10 games, he registered one goal. He participated in the Erik ten Hag-supervised United first team squad’s preseason training camp.
Many EFL clubs expressed interest in signing Hugill on loan during the summer transfer window, but Ten Hag insisted that Hugill stay at the club so that his development could be more carefully monitored and that he may be included in senior matchday squads.
Rasmus Hojlund and Anthony Martial, who has had several ailments and conditioning difficulties in recent seasons, are the only senior alternatives available for the Red Devils in the center hitting position, but Marcus Rashford can potentially fill in there.
Hugill’s old club Sunderland is said to be among those interested in a loan deal from United in the January transfer window. He may be prepared for a lengthy stretch of senior level matches based on his physical improvement at the Under-21 level.
Hugill’s current United contract is set to end in the summer of 2024, although a new three-year agreement is imminent. The striker started his junior career with Newcastle before moving on to rival Sunderland, where Red Devils scouts became aware of his development. Over the previous three years, he has displayed excellent performance for United at various youth-team levels.