Manchester United have a real interest in signing Republic of Ireland wonderkid Michael Noonan, but completing the signing might be more difficult than expected.
The Republic of Ireland have had an excellent month internationally, with Troy Parrott securing a spot in the World Cup play-offs
However, for their U17 national team at the U17 World Cup, it was also a solid month as they reached the round of 16.
Manchester United scouts were at this competition, with plenty of different targets ranging across countless teams.
Michael Noonan was watched closely by United as he impressed, but now the chances of a deal have taken a hit.
Michael Noonan celebrates for Ireland U17 against Canada
Photo By Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile via Getty Images
Celtic confident of signing Michael Noonan from Shamrock Rovers
Noonan had a pretty spectacular U17 World Cup for Ireland, and his performances have earned plenty of attention as the race for his signature heats up.
Michael Noonan’s Under-17 World Cup statistics for Ireland
ð®ðª 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 bagged three goals in the tournament; however, United are not in pole position to win his signature, according to The Sun in Ireland.
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This report claims that it is actually Celtic who are optimistic over winning the race to sign Noonan as they bid to fend off competition.
Having refused Manchester City on a pre-contract last year, the race is definitely on, but Celtic are an attractive option for the 17-year-old.
There are close links between Shamrock Rovers and Celtic at board level, with the Scottish side’s largest shareholder, Dermot Desmond, also being a 25 per cent stakeholder at Rovers.
Noonan is one for the future, but he is seen as being a good long-term investment with a potentially high resale value.
Wherever he goes, Noonan is expected to become the League of Ireland’s most expensive sale.
Manchester United might be too big of a jump for Michael Noonan
While he is a top prospect and really exciting, moving to the Premier League at 18, where first-team football would be unlikely, and he’d be back in the academy, isn’t the wisest move.
Man Utd icon Sir Alex Ferguson perfectly captures the ethos of believing in youngsters ð¥ð
Giving young people an opportunity is a fantastic thing and they very seldom let you down. These lads never let me down when they put that jersey on.
Sir Alex Ferguson speaking at the opening of Salford City’s Peninsula Stadium in 2017
Noonan would probably be better served heading to Celtic first before heading to the Premier League in the future, which would be best for his development.
However, Ineos do have the ace card of potentially offering Noonan the experience of playing in Switzerland with Lausanne for a year on loan.
That being said, it sounds like Celtic will probably get the deal done, but United shouldn’t give up.