Manchester United are leading the race to sign Sheffield Wednesday striker George Hirst, according to The Mirror.

What's the story?

Most of the time, the Red Devils are linked to big-name stars in the transfer gossip pages, but on this occasion, an England youth international has made the headlines.

The Mirror reports that Jose Mourinho’s first signing of the summer could be Wednesday teenager Hirst, who is the son of former striker David Hirst.

The publication claims that the youngster will come to the end of his current contract this summer after failing to agree fresh terms at Hillsborough.

It is believed that Leicester City, Newcastle United and Everton have also expressed an interest in Hirst, but the Red Devils are in pole position to land his signature.

Is he one for the future?

The teenager’s contract situation means that he has been restricted to just two appearances for the senior team this season.

However, in his England career so far, he has managed to find the back of the net 14 times in 27 outings.

Given the amount of interest shown in Hirst, all indications are that he has the ability to break through, but choosing United means that his task will be even tougher.

As well as the fact that the North-West outfit have decent attacking options already, Mourinho is not known to put too much faith in inexperienced players.

The Portuguese coach has tied himself to United for the long haul, though, so perhaps he wants to begin investing in young talent.

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