Manchester United sign Liverpool teenager Konde with seven-figure compensation fee still to be settled

Manchester United have signed Liverpool winger Isaac Konde, 16, with the two clubs now in negotiations over a compensation fee that Liverpool expect to reach seven figures.

Konde, who joined Liverpool’s academy as an under-nine in 2018, has signed a one-year scholarship at Old Trafford. Under Premier League rules, that deal will convert into a five-year professional contract when he turns 17 — the minimum age at which players can sign professional terms. Should United and Liverpool fail to agree on a compensation figure, the matter will be referred to a Premier League tribunal to determine the final sum.

The signing, reported by The Athletic, is the latest move in United’s sustained push to recruit top young English talent with a view to integrating them into the first team in the coming years. Konde will join Darren Fletcher’s Under-18s squad and has been mentioned internally as a potential long-term successor to JJ Gabriel, who has submitted a transfer request.

Konde’s arrival comes alongside the confirmed signing of Karim Cassim, a 17-year-old central midfielder who has left Manchester City. In an official club statement, United described Cassim as an “exciting youngster” and noted that he was part of the City side that won the FA Youth Cup last season. The England Under-17 international had already been spotted on the bench for United’s Under-18s during a fixture against Charlton last month, and he follows David Eze in making the move from the Etihad to Old Trafford.

Together, the two signings reflect United’s continued investment at academy level as the club looks to build a pipeline of homegrown talent capable of competing for first-team places in the years ahead.