Manchester United served blow in pursuit of Dutch starlet

Ajax wonderkid Justin Kluivert has cooled speculation of a summer move to Manchester United after insisting he knows nothing about reported talks with Jose Mourinho.

Reports emerged over the weekend suggesting United are in advanced talks with Ajax in a bid to sign Kluivert in a deal worth an initial £10m plus various add-ons.

Mourinho, who spoke to the 18-year-old after last season’s Europa League final, has known the teenager since he was a boy after coaching his father, Patrick, during his time at Barcelona.

The United manager insists he will not sign any more forward players in the wake of Alexis Sanchez’s arrival last month and Kluivert appears to have backed up that statement after cooling suggestions of a summer switch to Old Trafford.

“The chances of me leaving are slim,” he told Voetbal Inside, via The Daily Mail at the weekend.

“I haven’t spoken to Jose Mourinho myself. I know as much as you do. Rumours are always there, but Manchester United has never come up, and I don’t think it’s a logical step.

“A few more years at Ajax? Who knows, we’ll see.”

The Dutch U21 international has started 14 of Ajax’s 21 league matches this season and made a further three appearances from the bench.

In that time, Kluivert has played a direct hand in eight goals (five goals, three assists) and garnered an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.33.