Mezian Mesloub makes history for Portugal after Man Utd transfer links

Lens wonderkid Mezian Mesloub is quickly becoming one of the most admired talents in world football, and he has now made history for Portugal while on international duty.

Bursting onto the scene for Lens, Mezian Mesloub is earning Lamine Yamal comparisons in France as the 16-year-old looks like the real deal. This has led to pretty much every top side in Europe showing an interest in signing the teenager.

Manchester United are among those linked with signing Mesloub, and he has been almost presented as a JJ Gabriel replacement for United, considering the 15-year-old is expected to be joining Barcelona in the coming weeks or months.

Now, the publicity around Mesloub has grown over the international break.

𝙈𝙚𝙯𝙞𝙖𝙣 🎩🪄 pic.twitter.com/6GPuioZxO6

— Canal 11 (@Canal_11Oficial)

September 30, 2026

Mezian Mesloub becomes the youngest Portugal U21 player ever

Mesloub was eligible for France, Portugal, or Algeria internationally, but during this international break, he was called up for the Portuguese U21 side, which was a real statement of how highly they rate him.

His full name is Mezian Mesloub Soares, which shows the Portuguese side. Wednesday night saw Mesloub debut for Portugal at a U21 level, becoming the youngest player ever to represent them at that age group, making history in a night to remember.

Mesloub is as exciting a talent as there is anywhere in the world and would absolutely make up for the loss of Gabriel, with the added benefit of not having the baggage of bad representatives around him.

By making history for Portugal, Mesloub has beaten Cristiano Ronaldo, Geovany Quenda, and Rodrigo Mora, to name a few, and takes up the mantle of being the next big thing. He won’t be making a transfer for 18 months or so, but United should be all over securing a deal for him to join after that, when he is 18.

Considering how stacked the ranks are for Portugal, it really does speak volumes that Mesloub is being fast-tracked so quickly. This is a talent United must move heaven and earth to win the signature of.