Manchester United agree second summer signing from Southampton: report

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has agreed a deal for his second signing of the summer
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Manchester United have ‘agreed’ a deal for their second summer signing.

It follows Man United bringing Wolves man Matheus Cunha through the door, is set to agree terms to the deal at Old Trafford, with a deal for Bryan Mbuemo expected to be edging closer and closer.

Ruben Amorim agreed two January deals for Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu and is looking to repeat the same kind of transfer patterns in order to bring fresh and hungry talent to the club.

Manchester United agree deal for talent from Southampton

Will Still was announced as Southampton’s new head coach in May (Image credit: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)Southampton are preparing for a new era, with Lens coach Will Still arriving at St. Mary’s to try and take the Saints back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

But given their reputation for bringing through talent through a superb academy, the south coast outfit will be disappointed to be losing a star who could have featured for them this term.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has wasted no time (Image credit: Getty Images)According to AcademyScoop on X (formerly Twitter), Manchester United have agreed to sign Harley Emsden-James, with the Red Devils ‘proposal of a long-term project and eventual pathway’ is said to have been a key facet in the move.

Emsden-James, 16, is a product of the Saints academy and has ‘impressed scouts with his ball-playing abilities and athleticism’, according to Scoop’s breakdown posted on social media earlier today.

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A whole host of Premier League clubs are said to have shown interest in the 16-year-old, who plays predominantly as a centre-back.

Seen as one of England’s ‘most talented players’, the defender made two appearances for Southampton’s U18 Premier League squad last season, coming off the bench against Crystal Palace at the beginning of the season and against Arsenal on the final day of the campaign.

Understand #MUFC are in advanced talks to sign Harley Emsden-James from #SouthamptonFC. If move were to finalise, United would have to pay £1M in compensation. 16-year-old would join the youth team at first. Jason Wilcox key figure to deal. @centredevils https://t.co/AqU0k06AaFJune 11, 2025

Scoop, who is also known for breaking the news that Manchester United had signed Chido Obi from Arsenal last summer, says United will pay ‘a compensation fee to Southampton in the region of £1m, similar to what was paid for Obi last summer’.

He added, via SubStack: “Emsden-James will join Manchester United’s under-18s at the start of the season as a first-year scholar, where he’s expected to play the majority of his minutes during the 25/26 campaign.”

In FourFourTwo’s view, Manchester United are once again showing how important recruiting the next generation can be, especially given the success stories seen with Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven this season.

There is a clear pathway to the first team under Amorim and Emsden-James could play a huge part in his success, should the 40-year-old be given the time to complete a huge overhaul at the Theatre of Dreams.

Matthew Holt writes freelance for FourFourTwo, amongst others, and boasts previous experience at GOAL and SPORTBible. He now works with us alongside his time at Manchester United and Reach PLC, aiding with online content for the website. Career highs include working at the FA Cup final, as well as scoring at Old Trafford in front of the Stretford End. A long-term sufferer of his beloved Scunthorpe United, he is often seen on the padel court, as well as occasionally as a six-a-side call-up.