Manchester United are battling Newcastle United for the capture of Southampton starlet Tyler Dibling, it has been claimed.
According to the latest reports, Man Utd are ‘racing’ to sign the exciting young winger before Newcastle. Dibling is ‘on the radars’ of a number of major sides after impressing for Southampton this season, despite their dire Premier League form.
As things stand, Man Utd and Newcastle are the two clubs leading the charge for Dibling.
The report, which comes from Football Insider, states that Man Utd are scouring the market for the next wave of Prem ‘superstars’, and 18-year-old Dibling is their latest target.
Dan Ashworth was the one who originally put Man Utd on the wonderkid’s trail. Ashworth has since left Old Trafford, but Man Utd still remain eager to add Dibling to their squad.
Newcastle, meanwhile, have had success with English pair Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall and want to make Dibling their next signing for the future.
The report adds that Southampton will try their hardest to keep the right-sided attacker in January, but his exit will almost certainly happen in summer 2025.
Martin sack gives Man Utd transfer lift
Russell Martin recently said that Man Utd or any of Dibling’s other suitors ‘would not get his left foot’ if they bid around £21million (€25.4m / $26.6m) for him.
But Martin was sacked following Southampton’s 5-0 home thrashing by Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, with Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl a top target to replace him.
Rohl will have to work miracles to keep the Saints up if he is appointed though, as they sit bottom of the table after winning just one out of their 16 league games so far.
Southampton getting relegated would give Man Utd and Newcastle a boost as they look to sign Dibling at the end of the campaign.
Man Utd and Tottenham Hotspur were first linked with the England U21 international in September. It appears that Man Utd and Newcastle have overtaken Spurs in the chase for his signature since then.
Dibling could join United alongside other talented young players including Rosenborg midfielder Sverre Nypan and Paraguayan left wing-back Diego Leon.
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Man Utd transfers: Rashford rejected; big striker move
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford has reportedly been snubbed by a second European giant after stating he wants to leave Man Utd.
Rashford made headlines on Tuesday by revealing the time is right for him to move on and take part in a ‘new challenge’.
But long-term admirers Paris Saint-Germain have rejected the chance to land Rashford in a swap deal which would have seen Randal Kolo Muani head the other way.
PSG’s decision comes after Barcelona also cooled their interest in the 27-year-old.
Man Utd are already on the hunt for attacking reinforcements in the wake of Rashford’s bombshell exit announcement.
It has been suggested the Red Devils might sell both Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee to help them win the race for deadly Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.
READ MORE: Zirkzee agent set for crunch Man Utd talks as European giant’s transfer plans revealed
Who is Tyler Dibling?
ByRyan Baldi
Born in Exeter, Dibling first joined Southampton’s youth ranks at the age of six, before spending a year with hometown club Exeter City and then returning to the Saints in 2014.
In a Premier League 2 game against Newcastle United in April 2022, Dibling scored a hat-trick of near-identical goals, each time driving through the centre of the pitch and lashing in a low, left-footed effort from 20 yards.
Shortly after his first senior involvement as an unused substitute in a Premier League game against Brentford, Dibling briefly left Southampton to sign for Chelsea in July 2022, with the Blues fending off rival interest from Newcastle. But he was unable to settle with the Stamford Bridge club, making just two under-18s appearances before returning to the Saints the following September.
Dibling made his professional debut in a 3-1 EFL Cup defeat to Gillingham in August 2023 and ended the 2023-24 campaign with five senior outings under his belt, including one substitutes’ appearance in the Championship against Sheffield Wednesday in a 4-0 win.
A 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester United on 14 September brought a first Premier League start for Dibling. And despite his side’s heavy loss, the youngster impressed with his directness up against United full-back Diogo Dalot.
One week later, Dibling scored his first senior goal for the Saints, calmly side-footing into the net from close range just six minutes into the game. His strike in the 1-1 draw made him Southampton’s fourth-youngest scorer in the Premier League era.
Wearing his socks low around his ankles and with a fearless approach to taking on full-backs, Dibbling has drawn stylistic comparisons to England star Jack Grealish. In addition to notching his first senior goal in the Ipswich draw on September 21, the 18-year-old also completed a game-high three successful dribbles.
And his low socks and swaggering dribbling style are not the only reason Dibling is being likened to the Manchester City winger. Like Grealish, the Southampton teenager is also adept at enticing challenges and winning free kicks for his team. Against Manchester United, he won four free kicks, more than any other player on the pitch. And in his standout showing versus Ipswich, he won another four, a tally only the Tractor Boys’ Liam Delap could match.
A decade after he left to join Liverpool in a £25 million move, Adam Lallana is back at Southampton and the former St Mary’s icon has played a key role in developing Dibling. “Lallana has been most helpful,” Dibling said. “He’s done it at the top level already and is always asking me questions and giving us advice.”
An England youth international since being selected for the Young Lions under-16s in 2021, Dibling made his under-19s debut earlier this season, featuring in a 1-1 draw with Croatia.