Manchester United are keeping tabs on highly rated Twente centre-back Ruud Nijstad ahead of a possible transfer to Old Trafford, according to TEAMtalk.
Twente’s academy has a strong track record of developing talent, with the 18-year-old Nijstad the latest youngster to emerge from its ranks. Previous graduates include FC Porto’s Luuk de Jong, Beighton’s Mats Wieffer, Ajax’s Steven Berghuis and Manchester City’s Tijjani Reijnders.
Nijstad took his first steps in senior football on 5 October 2025, making his Eredivisie debut at just 17. He came off the bench in the eighth minute to replace Robin Pröpper against Heracles Almelo, helping Twente claim a 2–1 victory.
Two weeks later, on 18 October 2025, the defender was handed his first start in an away league fixture against NEC Nijmegen. He played the entire match at the Goffertstadion as Twente drew 3-3 and has since made 40 appearances for the Dutch club.
In the ongoing campaign, he has been an indispensable figure in John van den Brom’s backline, featuring in 16 games across all competitions, with his displays catching the attention of several clubs.
One of the clubs now looking to sign Nijstad is Man Utd, according to TEAMtalk, which claims that the Red Devils are keeping tabs on the 18-year-old ahead of a potential transfer to Old Trafford.
Exciting centre-back
The report adds that United have been assessing exciting young prospects who could develop into first-team-ready options, and they are now monitoring Nijstad after watching him live this year.
In what could boost Michael Carrick’s side, TEAMtalk claims former United manager Erik ten Hag, now Twente’s technical director, will play a key role in deciding the youngsters’ next club amid interest from his former club.
However, the 13-time Premier League champions are set to face fierce competition from Premier League rivals Manchester City, Brentford, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Everton and Sunderland in the race to sign the 6ft 5in centre-back.
Despite being only 18, Nijstad fits the profile of an ideal modern-day centre-back, and there’s an expectation Twente will demand more than his £15m Transfermarkt valuation.
He combines on-ball efficiency with passing and combativeness in his primary duties, defending, as shown by his 90.7% successful passes and 4.44 recoveries per game in the Eredivisie this season, according to FOTMOB.
Should United win the race for Nijstad, he will be joining an exciting pool of enormous talents to move to Old Trafford in recent seasons, including Harley Emsden-James, Enzo Kana-Biyik, Sekou Kone, Ayden Heaven, Chido Obi and Diego Leon. Cristian Orozco, Tynan Thompson and Karim Cassim.
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