Manchester United are eyeing a swoop for 18-year-old Austrian-born forward of Nigerian descent, Oghenetejiri Adejenughure, who has earned comparisons to Manchester City star Erling Haaland.
United are among a number of clubs reportedly interested in Adejenughure who has been a prolific goalscorer in youth football and is currently enjoying his first taste of senior action at FC Liefering in the second tier of Austrian football.
Liefering are Red Bull Salzburg’s reserve team and Adejenughure has also continued to represent Salzburg’s Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League.
The forward was recently invited to train with the senior Austria set-up by manager Ralf Rangnick and the Daily Star are reporting that United have sent scouts to watch him in action this season.
AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund are also said to be interested in Adejenughure, but United are hoping to learn from their mistakes with Haaland and sign the teenager for a ‘low fee’ and help him fulfil his potential at Old Trafford.
United did have the option to sign Haaland before he became one of the best players in the world, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer first recommending him to the club when the striker was a teenage prospect at Molde.
Solskjaer was coaching Haaland at the time and he would have been available for just £4million, but United decided against making a move.
“I called United about six months before I took over and told them that I’d got this striker that we had, but they didn’t listen,” Solskjaer told the Sun in 2023.
Adejenughure started his career at First Vienna FC and in September 2018 he moved to SK Rapid Vienna.
In February 2021 he joined Red Bull Salzburg academy where he went through all age levels.
For the 2024/2025 season Adejenughure moved into the squad of FC Liefering and made his debut in the 2nd league in August 2024.
In November 2021 he played for the Austrian youth national team for the first time. In 2024 he took part in the European Championships with the U-17 team.
Adejenughure played in all four of the Austrians’ games and scored four goals. In September 2024 he debuted for the U-19 team in a friendly match versus Belgium.
On 15 October 2024, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2007 worldwide.
Mirror Sport
