Emile Heskey Tells Man Utd And Arsenal Why They Should Pay £15M For “Fantastic Athlete And Ball Player”
Ex-Leicester City striker and youth coach Emile Heskey has “absolutely no doubts” that Man Utd target Louis Page is ready to play in the Premier League.
Both the Red Devils and Arsenal have been pursuing the teenager, and speaking to 10bet about whether the midfielder can make it at the highest level, Heskey said:
“Can Louis Page make the step up to the Premier League? 100%. I have absolutely no doubts about it. He’s a player that can step up to the Premier League. He’s a fantastic athlete, he’s a fantastic ball player, and it’s great to see Leicester still producing players like that.”
“Whether the club can hang on to them or not is another thing. I still think Louis could have one or two more seasons at Leicester before he leaves, but he will have aspirations to go and play at the highest level and play in the Champions League, and he’s got the ability to do that.”
Man Utd retain an interest in Page
It has been reported that the Manchester club will revisit a move for the 18-year-old next year after failing to secure his services during the summer transfer window.
Page is said to have a preference for joining United over Arsenal, which should mean there is a relatively low danger of the transfer being hijacked.
Leicester are demanding a high fee
The main reason why the Red Devils did not get a deal over the line before Deadline Day last month was due to Page’s steep asking price.
Leicester have maintained their stance that they want £12m up front for the midfielder, with an additional £3m in performance-related add-ons.
United were willing to go above £10m, but they ultimately were not prepared to match Page’s valuation. The two sides are not that far apart on the fee, though, so a compromise could be reached in January.