Manchester United are set to lose one of the brightest talents in the youth system, with Under-23 top scorer Josh Harrop set to join EFL Championship Preston North End to have more first-team football.
Need to go out there and prove myself
Harrop is considered one of the brightest young talents available to the club presently, with the midfielder finishing with ten goals in 25 appearances last season, which included a hat-trick in the U23's 3-2 win over Tottenham.
That certainly caught the eye of first-team coach José Mourinho as he was picked for the final fixture of last season against Crystal Palace, and he repaid the faith in him by opening the scoring in the 2-0 victory.
Harrop was expected to sign a new deal at the Theatre of Dreams, but has since been revealed that he has agreed a four-year at Deepdale once his United contract finishes on July 3 and stated that it will be for the better of his progression.
"I'm 21 now and I'm confident in myself," Harrop stated. "I need to play first team football to get myself out there."
"That wasn't guaranteed at United even though they offered me a new contract," the midfielder admitted. "It was very limited in game time and so I couldn't take that risk at my age."
"I need to be out there," Harrop added. "Proving myself and doing what I know I'm capable of."
Joining the scouting team
This summer transfer window is only expected to get busier at Old Trafford, with the exit of Harrop and the club already securing the services of Benfica defender Victor Lindelöf.
It is also proving to be busy behind the scenes if rumours are anything to go by, with reports suggesting that scout Javier Ribalta is to join United's scouting set-up having left Juventus after five years.
Ribalta is expected to join Marcel Bout and Jim Lawor at the club, with the Italian confirming on Friday that the man who brought the likes of Andre Pirlo and Arturo Vidal would be leaving.
"It has been a wonderful few years here," he told juventus.com. "My thanks go to all involved with the club, particularly Giuseppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici for the faith they have shown in me since day one."