Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is well aware of the club’s heritage in finding talent from within and is keen to inject youthful exuberance into his side.
Solskjaer, a fan favourite during his 11-year stint at Old Trafford, has been credited with restoring United’s identity and youth development.
Homegrown talents in Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard are evidence the club is returning to the ways which once unearthed David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, the Neville brothers and Paul Scholes in a famed era of youth promotion.
Among the handful of positives in the last few months have been the opportunities afforded to academy graduates.
Scott McTominay has racked over 50 senior appearances for the club, Brandon Williams made his debut and James Garner has been around the squad, while fellow teenagers Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood have played multiple times.
We’ve seen United release a host of promising talents including Angel Gomes and Largie Ramazani who were always hyped among the United hierarchy.
Nevertheless, Mason Greenwood has taken the Premier League by storm and Brandon Williams has forced his way into the reckoning.
But who will be joining them?
Teden Mengi
United’s search for a pacy and technically skilled defender could be put on hold as Mengi could be United’s defensive solution.
The 18-year-old is yet to make his first-team bow for the club but he was promoted into first-team training alongside several homegrown stars.
His attributes include his composure on the ball, pace and a skill that every modern defender needs, as well as his strength.
Dylan Levitt
Levitt made his full debut at club level in late November in a 2-1 defeat to FC Astana.
Against Astana, he showed United what they’ve been missing.
He distributed 104 passes in the game, 20 more than any other player on the pitch and many of them were sharp, forward balls aimed at getting United on the front foot.
An impressive training ground performance has also earned him a call to the Welsh National team.
James Garner
He made his debut last season against Crystal Palace when the Red Devils suffered an injury crisis.
With a few more appearances to his name, he has earned comparisons to Micheal Carrick from his manager and applauds from his teammates.
Known for his instinctive positioning and incredible vision for the game, the 19-year old would be looking for loan opportunities to further his progress.
Hannibal Mejbri
Although not a Mancunian, the 16-year-old signed in the summer for €10million from AS Monaco.
Mejbri’s passing range is what sets him apart.
He has a great vision and is capable of cutting through defences with long or short passes, sometimes creating opportunities from within his own half helping him rack three assists in the first four under-23 games despite completing 90 minutes just once.
Mejbri is still a talent in development, but he is one who United fans are right to be excited about, especially if looking for a new golden boy to pin hopes on after Gomes’ sad departure.
Other notable mentions are Di’Shon Bernard, Ethan Galbraith, D’Mani Mellor and Ethan Laird who was recently introduced to the first-team training.
