Manchester United are considering signing the latest of France’s teenage prodigies, Mathis Rayan Cherki, who plays as an attacking midfielder and a striker for Lyon and is the subject of interest from Real Madrid among others.

The 15-year-old will be eligible for a move within the European Union on his next birthday, Aug 17, and is regarded as one of the leading prospects for his age in Europe. In France, it has been reported that all the European powerhouses, including Real Madrid, Juventus, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, have registered an interest, but United’s is unusual.

They have tended in the past not to get involved in major bidding for scholarship-aged players across Europe. The club signed Dutch youth international Tahith Chong, now 19, from Feyenoord three years ago but their academy recruitment model has focused on trying to scout and retain the best British talent, combined with signing a handful of players from around the EU on lower-cost professional deals.

Given the competition for Rayan Cherki’s signature, he would command a considerable first professional contract when he is able to sign one in August next year.

Rayan Cherki has a big profile for his age in France and already plays for Lyon’s Under-19s. The club’s famously combative president Jean-Michel Aulas has put great store on convincing the Lyon-born player, who has Algerian parents, to sign a professional deal at his boyhood club. United would have to offer their biggest-ever contract to a scholarship-age player were they to convince Rayan Cherki to come to Manchester next season, first as a scholar and then with a guaranteed professional deal at 17.

United have also shown an interest in Moussa Dembele credit: Getty images

In September, aged 15 and 33 days, Rayan Cherki became the youngest goalscorer in the Uefa Youth League, the Under-19s equivalent of the Champions League, when he scored Lyon’s goal in a 4-1 defeat by Manchester City Under-19s.

United have also been interested in the Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, currently playing for France Under-21s in the European Championship in Italy this month . The former Celtic and Lyon striker, 22, has long been one of United’s targets, in keeping with their new approach of investment in young players.

Aulas, the Lyon president, is understood to be keener on the sale of Nabil Fekir, 25, the club’s gifted attacker who is out of contract next summer, and the 22-year-old midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, who is the subject of interest from Tottenham Hotspur.