Manchester United have become the latest club to monitor the form of FC Utrecht's highly rated Pascal Bosschaart.
Dutch giants Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven have been for some time following the progress of the 23-year-old who can play in defence or midfield, but Utrecht director Martin Sturkenboom told Algemeen Dagblad that United have now joined the race.
The presence in the stands of Martin Ferguson for Sunday's 2-1 victory over Heerenveen was further evidence of the interest of the English champions.
Ferguson, brother of Manchester Utd manager Sir Alex and a United scout, was in Utrecht for the second time to see the 23-year-old in action.
Sturkenboom said: "Officially no club have already offered us a transfer fee for him, but it will be difficult to keep him here. That's a fact."
Bosschaart has a contract at FC Utrecht until the summer of 2005.
Sturkenboom said: "I understand very well that Pascal wants to climb up the sporting ladder, but it's not that he can walk out our stadium for free. We have put a decent price tag on him and that's the money we want to get."
The price for Bosschaart was last season €5 million, which was too much at that point for Feyenoord.