Man Utd and Arsenal ‘miss out on 17-year-old wonderkid transfer as RB Leipzig seal £5m deal’

11 months ago 61

MANCHESTER UNITED and Arsenal have missed out on signing Croatian wonderkid Dino Klapija.

The teenage forward has instead agreed to join RB Leipzig from NK Kustosija for £4.8million.

Both Premier League clubs had been linked with the American-born talent in recent weeks.

However, the Daily Mail now report that Klapija has agreed a deal with the Bundesliga outfit instead.

His family are said to have chosen Leipzig as they offered the best pathway into the first-team.

The transfer also includes a 10 per cent sell-on clause for Kustosija.

Arsenal’s interest had reportedly turned Klapija’s head, though, after scouts watched his last three matches.

The Gunners also offered to move his family to London as part of a potential deal.

Klapija, who turned 17 on Friday, was born in the USA and began his career in New York City’s academy.

He returned to Croatia with his family last year, however, joining Dinamo Zagreb before a move to Kustosija.

The youngster is eligible to represent both the USA and Croatia, who previously capped him at under-17 level.

Meanwhile, he was included in the USA’s preliminary squad for last year’s under-17 World Cup in Indonesia.

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