Manchester United poach 16-year-old Isaac Konde from Liverpool in seven-figure academy deal

Manchester United have signed Liverpool academy winger Isaac Konde, 16, with a compensation fee expected to reach seven figures, according to The Athletic. Konde has penned a one-year scholarship that will automatically convert into a five-year professional contract once he reaches the age of 17 — the minimum age at which players in England can sign professional terms.

Konde joined Liverpool’s academy as an under-nine in 2018 and will now link up with Darren Fletcher’s Under-18s squad at Old Trafford. United and Liverpool are currently in talks to agree the compensation fee; if no agreement is reached, the matter will be referred to a Premier League tribunal to determine the final sum.

The teenager is seen as a potential long-term replacement for JJ Gabriel, who has reportedly requested to leave the club. Konde’s arrival underlines United’s intent to strengthen their academy pipeline with players capable of eventually stepping up to the first team.

His signing follows closely on the heels of Karim Cassim, a 17-year-old central midfielder who completed his move from Manchester City earlier this week. In a club statement, United described Cassim as an “exciting youngster” and an England youth international capped up to Under-17 level. Cassim was part of the City side that won the FA Youth Cup last season and had already been spotted on the bench for United’s Under-18s in a match against Charlton last month.

Cassim joins fellow City academy graduate David Eze in making the switch to Old Trafford, continuing a pattern of United targeting top-rated young talent from rival clubs. The back-to-back acquisitions from two of England’s most respected academies signal a clear strategic focus from United’s recruitment department on building long-term depth from within.