This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict’ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Derby County are close to signing centre back Teden Mengi on loan from Manchester United, a report from The Daily Mail has claimed.
Mengi made his senior debut for United in the Europa League against LASK Linz last season, and the 18-year-old has been a regular for the club at Under 23s level over the past couple of seasons.
Now it seems as though the teenager is set to get the opportunity of more regular first-team football between now and the end of the season, with Mengi reportedly undergoing a medical before joining Derby until the end of the season.
So would Mengi be a good signing for Derby? Do they need him? And would he start for Wayne Rooney's side?
We put those questions to some of our Football League World writers, and here is a look at what they had to say.
Ben Wignall
With Derby not having a senior defender on the bench against Bristol City, defensive signings were desperately needed, and I believe that the Rams have got their hands on one of the best young prospects in England right now.
At just 18 years old, Mengi is captaining United's under-23's, so he has to have something about him to be given that responsibility.
Mengi can play all across the back-line so gives Rooney some much-needed versatility in an area that could be stretched with so many games coming up in the month of February, so he will probably get lots of minutes, even though he's not a guaranteed starter at first.
But he's not going to Pride Park to sit on the bench - United will be entrusting Rooney to make sure he has a good experience of senior football for the first time, and if all goes well he could return for a full season in the 2021/22 campaign.
Jake Sanders
Whilst Teden Mengi has almost no previous experience at senior level, he was handed his first-team debut by Manchester United in the Europa League just three months after his 18th birthday, so is clearly highly rated by Ole Gunnar Solskjear and co.
But a Championship relegation battle is a different kettle of fish.
However, with Derby possibly selling George Evans before tonight's deadline and Krystian Bielik facing the prospect of a long period on the sidelines, plus the fact that Curtis Davies is already out injured, Mengi surely wouldn't come in unless Wayne Rooney was planning on using him.
For a cheap deal late in the day, I think this would be a good move for both.