07 June 2023 , 18:23
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Interest in the USMNT hopeful Brian Gutierrez is gathering pace with Manchester United reportedly among the potential suitors.
Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag will be looking to strengthen his squad after securing Champions League football in his debut campaign at the club. While the likes of Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount and Napoli defender Kim Min-jae have been linked with moves to Old Trafford, it is also likely that the Dutch coach will be keen to future-proof areas of his squad.
According to the Daily Mail, the former Ajax manager is keeping tabs on Chicago Fire midfielder Brian Gutierrez, who has been mooted for a potential call-up to the USMNT in recent times. The 19-year-old has already made 74 appearances for the MLS club and is attracting interest from a host of European clubs this summer.
The Illinois-born prospect has already featured across four campaigns during his fledgling career, while making 15 appearances so far this term. But one major snag which could well deter any British clubs from pursuing a deal for the US national is the difficulty which may arise around obtaining a work permit.
SPL giants Rangers are mentioned alongside Manchester United as a club that harbours an interest in the prospect but they too could well be put off over the restrictions. Clubs on the continent, however, will likely have no such problems, putting the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Leipzig and Girona on high alert.
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Gutierrez has drawn huge praise from Chicago Fire's new head coach, Frank Klopas, who believes he is a "different level" and praised his attributes.
"[Gutierrez] right now is at a different level and he can continue, he's going to continue to grow and take more responsibility upon himself," Klopas said after a 1-0 win over St Louis City. "But today, he was incredible.
Erik ten Hag has outlined his summer transfer demands ((Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images))"Good with the ball, his work rate, key passes, ability to beat players, technical ability – he's got everything in my mind. And you can just see year by year, I've seen him grow and mature even when he was on Fire Academy. He’s really playing like a man now."
Such is Gutierrez's important to Chicago Fire's team that former head coach Ezra Hendrickson prohibited the emerging talent from joining up with the USMNT 20s squad for the World Cup in Argentina this summer. He explained at the time: 'We will not be releasing those two players [Gutierrez and Chris Brady], we discussed it at length.
"They really wanted to go, and they expressed that. We didn’t want to disappoint them or the federation, but the priority in this situation is the Chicago Fire."