When Manchester United completed the signing of Hannibal Mejbri last August, those involved in the recruitment process were particularly pleased. “We’re really proud we’ve got him,” one said. “He’s going to be a talent.”



At the time, he was just 16 but the price of purchase from Monaco — €5 million rising to €10 million with attainable add-ons — conveyed a special kind of belief in what his future could hold, as did the other clubs in pursuit: namely Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur. Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester City had also been credited with interest.



United are understood to have held numerous meetings in France to make their proposal to Mejbri’s family. Then, 12 days before the signing was announced, Mejbri was invited to United’s friendly against Kristiansund in Oslo.



“United really personally invested in it. They did it properly,” says an individual...