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Sir Jim Ratcliffe hasn’t had a chance to make an impact at Manchester United on the pitch as the transfer window in January came and went without his stake being confirmed.
The upcoming summer is set to be the first one under his leadership and even though no signings have been made, his vision has been clear.
Sir Jim has said that instead of buying superstars they would like to identify them before they turn into superstars.
Port Vale’s Baylee Dipepa fits that template to a tee and that’s why the links to the 17-year-old forward weren’t surprising when they first emerged.
Dipepa has burst onto the scene in a beleaguered Port Vale and given the Valiants something to hope about in a season that is likely to end up in relegation to League Two.
The Valiant reports that considering the club’s predicament, they are resigned to losing Dipepa sooner rather than later.
The Valiane spoke to Port Vale chief executive Matt Hancock who said they are well aware their prodigy has a lot of eyes on him as he’s playing ahead of Premier League forwards for the England U17s.
He added that while they haven’t had any official approaches for him so far, they are not “naive” to think there won’t be any in the future.
Ultimately, he lauded Dipepa’s family and said they’re excited about his progress, especially as a player who has been with the club since the U9s.
He said: “We have had no official approaches or offers. We are not naïve enough to think that someone who is playing ahead of Premier League forwards for England under-17s and then getting regular games and scoring in League One, won’t have eyes on him.
“We know that will be happening. All I can say is his family are outstanding. He has been here since day dot (under-nines level) and has a real affinity to Port Vale. We are excited about his progress here.
“He’s a Port Vale player and I know from the first-team manager right the way through the club, he is seen as a good person and also a great asset for Port Vale. We will see what the future may hold.”
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