Manchester United Close On French Kid "Jeremy Helen" As Everton Bow Out Of Race!

Everton appear to have lost out to Manchester United in the race for promising French youngster Jeremy Helen.

The Goodison Park outfit have emerged as one of several clubs tracking the 15-year-old left-back, who is currently with Rennes.

But United have now opened talks with the French side about a deal for Helen, who has a two-year agreement with the club.

“The player wants to go to Manchester United,” admitted Rennes general manger Pierre Dreossi. “And they have made us an offer. We will gather our thoughts and see whether we will consider it or not, but we will defend our interests.”

Helen is a French under-16s international and graduate of the famous Clairefontaine academy in France.

United have already made contact with the family and his mother has confirmed her son is set for Old Trafford after rejecting an approach from Everton.

“Nothing is settled so far,” she said. “My son has signed a pre-contract with Rennes and we called for a specialist to look at it. Jeremy is a stable boy and I cannot see any difference between living in Rennes or Manchester if you have a good entourage.

“I will spend several months and years beside him if needed and my son and I have talked with Alex Ferguson. Inter, Newcastle, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Everton also contacted him. Money will not make his choice. To him, Manchester offers the best career path.”

A raft of new arrivals are nevertheless expected at Goodison Park this summer, with David Moyes having checked on CSKA Moscow’s Brazilian striker Jo.

Jo has one Brazil cap and scored 30 goals in 52 games for the Russian outfit.

Moyes watched the 21-year-old play for CSKA against Lokomotiv on a trip to Moscow on April 20, when he also checked on Jo’s Brazilian team-mate Dudu.

The asking price of around £18million would shatter Everton’s transfer record, but there is scope to bring the player to the Premier League on an initial season-long loan.

Jo is part-owned by Kia Joorabchian’s MSI group, who were involved in similar such deals that brought Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to England, with Everton also having dealt with MSI over their first loan move for Manuel Fernandes in January 2007.