HE'S been described as the next Theo Walcott - yet he somehow wound up at Turf Moor instead of one of Europe's leading clubs.

He's a German-born Ghanaian - but has already represented England at youth level.

And he's a die-hard Liverpool supporter - but resisted the overtures of Rafa Benitez to sign for United.

The world of John Cofie is full of complexity and contradiction. But such is the 14-year-old's potential that Sir Alex Ferguson simply refused to let him slip through his grasp.

Cofie was virtually unknown to the public before Burnley's low-key announcement that they'd struck a deal with United.

Impact

But the impact was significantly felt at Liverpool and Chelsea, who had harboured hopes of stealing in ahead of Ferguson.

Benitez saw the young striker as the crowning glory to his development programme at Anfield, which has seen them win the FA Youth Cup for the past two years.

But Clarets' former manager Steve Cotterill expressed his anger at Liverpool's attempts to sign him on the cheap - believing the six footer to be worth far more than the Merseysiders' offer of £250,000.

The full details of the move to United remain uncertain, but Cofie cannot sign a professional contract until he is 17.

He is, however, expected to stay with the champions for at least six-years, which will see him beyond his schoolboy term and academy scholarship.

The compensation could be worth as much as £1.25m - though that figure has not been confirmed.

United have also agreed to a friendly with Burnley, a 25 per cent sell-on clause and have guaranteed the Championship side first refusal, if and when, Cofie goes out on loan.

For Fergie, the capture of the Liverpool fan whose heroes are Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, represents a real coup - particularly after missing out on some high-profile starlets in recent years.

Interest

Though the Reds' boss recruited the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney - Arsenal beat him to the signature of Walcott, Tottenham landed Gareth Bale, while Jon Obi Mikel controversially spurned United for Chelsea.

Fergie also had to fend off interest from Barcelona, as the teenager's lofty reputation is already known on the continent.

A prodigious athlete, his only competitive football came playing for army representative sides when his father was stationed in Germany.

It was originally thought he'd be a sprinter, recording times of around 11 seconds in the 100m in schools competitions.

But with Europe's top clubs circling once he moved to Burnley, it was clear his future lay in football.

He could make his United debut this week, playing for the U15s.

Cofie's family's legal representative, Tim Bailey of Beswick Sports, said there is no doubting his potential.

"We advise a lot of young players, but only a very small percentage make it," said Bailey. "Everybody agrees he's got something special. Being at a club like United will help him develop.

"They look after their players very well and that was a big factor in his parents making the decision."

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