Manchester United starlet on trial at Leicester City ahead of potential transfer

Manchester United Academy player Manni Norkett is understood to have started for Leicester City's under-21s in their Premier League 2 fixture against West Ham United on Friday night.

LeicestershireLive reports that Leicester are taking a closer look at the teenager to potentially sign the striker this summer, with Norkett playing the first 45 minutes before being substituted at half-time. The East Midlands clubs have previously picked up players from United's academy in recent years, notably, Chris Popov, who played off of the trialist as a number ten at West Ham's Rush Green training ground.

Whether Norkett continues to feature for Leicester will be interesting, as the club's under-21s are due at Carrington next Friday for a PL2 match against United before concluding the season three days later at Everton's Finch Farm training facility.

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The 18-year-old has scored ten goals for United's under-18s this season, including a strike during their unsuccessful FA Youth Cup defence. After featuring in all 11 of United's opening fixtures in the U18 Premier League, the Nottingham-born forward has featured more sporadically since February after also playing for the U21s.

This spell at Leicester is not the first time Norkett has had a stint away from Carrington. The striker spent a month on a work-experience loan at Northern Premier League club Gainsborough Trinity last season and previously played for Manchester City and Sheffield United before joining United as a 13-year-old in 2018.

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