Man Utd accept midfielder offer as Prem newcomers beat former club and league champions to deal
Man Utd have agreed to send Hannibal Mejbri on loan to Luton Town for the upcoming season, reports have revealed.
Mejbri was on loan in the Championship with Birmingham City last season, but for his next step, Man Utd want to lift him up to test himself in the Premier League. And it appears he will be doing so with play-off winners Luton.
According to Football Transfers, Man Utd have accepted the advances of the Premier League newcomers to take Mejbri on loan for the 2023-24 campaign.
Since he is into the final year of his contract at Old Trafford, his parent club may have to extend his deal with them first, but his immediate future should lie at Kenilworth Road.
It is claimed that Luton have beaten a range of competition in order to win the race for Mejbri. Among the other clubs they were competing with were Eredivisie champions Feyenoord – who could have offered him involvement in the Champions League – and Hannibal’s own former club, Monaco.
Man Utd bought the then-teenager from Monaco in 2019 before he had made his senior debut for the Ligue 1 outfit. He has since earned three Premier League appearances, but found his time in the Championship last term more fruitful.
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Next step set for Mejbri
Before he can make a breakthrough in the Man Utd first team, another loan spell of a higher level might be important, which is why the Luton offer has been warmly received.
Mejbri is in line to follow another former Man Utd academy player, Tahith Chong, from Birmingham to Luton after his permanent transfer in July.
But unlike Chong, whom the Red Devils sold to Birmingham on a permanent basis in September 2022 after a loan stint of his own, Man Utd will be retaining control of Mejbri’s career beyond his temporary spell.
They have the option to extend his current contract until the end of the 2024-25 season, but may prefer to negotiate a brand new deal that would last longer before giving the final green light to his loan to Luton.
At the age of 20, there is plenty of time ahead for the Tunisia international to blossom into a better player at a high level. This season could be crucial for determining what his potential actually is.
After finishing in the bottom half of the Championship with Birmingham last season, Mejbri is now in line to be part of a Luton squad that will be trying to ensure their stay in the Premier League lasts for more than one season.
