Manchester United’s interest in signing Michael Noonan will only have increased after his successful U17 World Cup campaign.
There has been no secret about the fact that Manchester United scouts have been paying special attention to the U17 World Cup in Qatar this month.
With a long list of targets, United in Focus exclusively revealed that United were impressed by Michael Noonan and his performances in the Republic of Ireland’s journey to the round of 16.
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Michael Noonan’s Under-17 World Cup statistics for Ireland
🇮🇪 Michael Noonan ⚽️
Ireland U17 World Cup 2025 Stats
Opponent Goals Assists
Panama(Won 4-1) 1 0
Uzbekistan(Won 2-1) 1 0
Paraguay(Draw 0-0) 0 0
Canada(Draw 1-1)**Won on Pens 1 0
Switzerland(Lost 1-3) 0 0
TOTAL 3 0
Noonan was the star of Ireland’s team, earning plenty of praise and attention for his form in front of goal, scoring three in five games.
Now, he’s expected to be on the move in 2026.
Michael Noonan appeals to referee in Ireland kit.
Photo By Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile via Getty Images
Michael Noonan’s transfer is expected to break League of Ireland records
Noonan cannot move to United or another interested club until July 2026, when he turns 18, but already there is a queue beginning to form with clubs keen to sign him.
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So, with a transfer chase expected in January, now the Daily Mail has claimed that Noonan is gaining more and more recognition every week, confirming United are keeping tabs along with Celtic.
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Additionally, Noonan has around a dozen Premier League clubs keen on him, with the 17-year-old being considered the most talented Irish player in a generation.
Noonan is tipped to follow Mason Melia’s record League of Ireland transfer to the Premier League; however, Shamrock Rovers’ gem is expected to shatter the record fee of just £1.5m.
According to CIES‘ value tool, Noonan is valued at £2m right now, which would smash that record; however, there is a chance he costs quite a bit more than this. But it could still end up being a bargain.
United also wanted Noonan in 2024, when he was still playing for St. Pat’s Athletic, this before he joined Rovers and subsequently broke UEFA Conference League history as the youngest ever goal scorer.
Michael Noonan could be perfect for Ineos’ multi-club model at Manchester United
Noonan is undoubtedly an impressive talent; however, he is still pretty raw in terms of his abilities, as can be expected in a 17-year-old striker.
As a result of this, any Premier League club he joins is unlikely to promise immediate minutes with the first team, and a loan is probably very likely.
Well, United could hold an ace card in this regard with the Ineos multi-club model potentially meaning Noonan could be loaned to Lausanne to develop next season.
Ineos haven’t used the multi-club model enough at United, and this kind of arrival is the chance to utilise it with Enzo Kana-Biyik beginning to find joy in Switzerland on his development loan.
Noonan is good enough to be the next name to make this jump, where he could play at a high level and potentially in Europe before returning to United the following summer for evaluation.