One of the brightest young talents in German football certainly wasn’t going to be short of opportunities this summer, Manchester United just one of a host of European A-listers hot on the 18-year-old’s trail.
HITC reported at the end of March that, in addition to Erik ten Hag’s side, Liverpool were keeping tabs on the teenager’s development. As were Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Juventus, and a Bayer Leverkusen side cruising towards the title under the coveted head coach Xabi Alonso.
But while Bence Dardai’s arrival alone will not galvanise a Wolfsburg side who sacked Niko Kovac with the club hovering nervously above the relegation zone, their success in fighting off competition from Manchester United, Liverpool, Bayern and co for the Hertha Berlin wonderkid should come as a welcome distraction from those on-pitch struggles.
Manchester United target Bence Dardai seals move
“We’re delighted that Bence has chosen to join us,” smiles a delighted Wolfsburg sporting director Sebastian Schindzielorz. “He is a young and highly talented player who has already taken his first steps in professional football with Hertha and shown the quality that he has in the second tier.”
Dardai, who represents Germany at Under 18 level, has made eight Bundesliga.2 appearances this season under his father, Pal Dardai. You can bet your bottom dollar that Man United will continue to keep tabs on midfielder in his new Lower Saxony home, with Wolfsburg likely to be merely a stepping stone on Dardai’s journey to the top should he fulfil his obvious potential.
“Bence will have the opportunity to further develop his career at a high level at VfL Wolfsburg,” adds Schindzielorz. “And we intend to give him all the support he needs. We are looking forward to what the future has to offer together.”
Man United are planning a major overhaul of their senior squad this summer, Fabrizio Romano reporting that the Red Devils are looking at potential additions up top, at left-back, in central midfield and in central defence too.
But, as ever, United are also on the lookout for football’s next generation of potential superstars. The rapid development of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo under Ten Hag, meanwhile, could go a long way to convincing the club’s other teenage targets that Old Trafford would be the right move for their careers.
Ten Hag lauds Mainoo and Garnacho progress
“Incredibly good,” Ten Hag toldTNT Sports of his baby-faced duo a few weeks ago. “But they (Garnacho and Mainoo) are just on the start of the journey, and that is also what they have to understand.
“They are now in the first team, but getting here is much more easy than staying here, and there’s going to be a big fight for them (to do that).”
Garnacho has now started a staggering 30 successive games in all competitions. The Argentina international scored twice in Thursday’s 4-3 defeat at Chelsea.