Nathan De Cat is 17 years old, stands six-foot-two, already has a senior cap for Belgium, and apparently plays like a young Sergio Busquets. That combination has put half of Europe on alert.
The Anderlecht teenager is one of the more intriguing prospects in this summer’s transfer window, and the race for his signature is getting crowded. According to reports, Manchester United, Tottenham, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Chelsea have all done some level of scouting or made initial contact. Anderlecht is bracing for a bidding war.
Why so much interest this early?
De Cat is a defensive midfielder with a rare mix of size and technical comfort. He reads the game well, wins balls in midfield, and can actually move the ball quickly once he has it. The Busquets comparisons don’t hurt either, even if they’re a little early. But at 17, he’s already shown he can handle senior minutes at a club that develops young players as well as anyone in Europe.
His contract runs through 2027, but Anderlecht hasn’t been able to get him to sign an extension. That’s where things get interesting. If the club waits too long, they risk losing him for nothing. So they’re reportedly willing to entertain offers around £35 million. For a teenager who’s played maybe 30 senior games, that’s a steep number. But the market for elite young midfielders is what it is.
United’s midfield puzzle is part of this
Michael Carrick is rebuilding Manchester United’s engine room and wants multiple midfielders this window. The club already agreed a deal for Atalanta’s Ederson, a box-to-box type recommended by Casemiro. They also want Sporting’s Mateus Fernandes, a deep-lying playmaker. That would give them two new midfielders, but Carrick reportedly wants a third.
They looked at Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali but got priced out. Ayyoub Bouaddi popped up as an option after his World Cup performances. And now De Cat is on the list. But here’s the question: is United buying for right now, or for three years from now? De Cat probably isn’t stepping into the starting XI immediately. He’d need time. And in a league as demanding as the Premier League, that’s a gamble.
What the Bundesliga offers
Bayern and Dortmund both have strong track records with young players. Dortmund especially. If De Cat wants the clearest path to first-team football, Germany might make more sense than England. Both clubs have made formal approaches, according to TEAMtalk. They can offer European minutes and a development structure that’s proved it works.
Tottenham has scouted him extensively and made contact with Anderlecht about the terms of a deal. Spurs see him as a long-term deep-lying playmaker. That’s a specific role in Ange Postecoglou’s system, and it might be a good fit if he’s patient enough to wait for minutes behind established starters.
Anderlecht might want a loan-back
One complicating factor: Anderlecht could push for a loan-back as part of any sale. That would let De Cat keep developing in Belgium for another year or two, which might actually lower the transfer fee a bit. It would also give whichever club buys him time to figure out where he fits.
For a 17-year-old who’s already drawn comparisons to one of the best midfielders ever, the next few weeks could set the direction of his entire career. Right now, he’s got options. And none of them are bad.
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