Manchester United Football Club has often been known for nurturing and harnessing young teenage talents, while helping them grow into top-level footballers.
The concern when Jose Mourinho was appointed manager was whether that trend would continue, but the self-proclaimed Special One has kept faith in academy graduates, giving vital minutes to Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Scott McTominay.
Mourinho has taken the decision to send several players out on loan this term, so we want to assess which academy products have a good chance at making an impact for the first-team next season
Axel Tuanzebe
The 20-year-old is currently on loan at Aston Villa, a deal which was sanctioned in January. Before his loan move, Tuanzebe found himself on the bench quite often, which tells me that he’s in Mourinho’s future plans.
He’s only made the one appearance for Villa thus far, but you’d imagine he’ll see minutes aplenty before the season ends. Although he’s not particularly liked by Red Devils fans, Tuanzebe could learn a fair bit from John Terry.
Chance at regular football: 4/10
Andreas Pereira
Pereira is spending the second consecutive season away from Manchester United and out in Spain. He’s making a great name for himself with Valencia CF, and he’s obviously an immensely talented individual.
Versatility is a great asset of his as he can play all across the attacking midfield line, even slightly deeper if needed. Personally, though, I’m just not quite sure whether Mourinho has enough space to give yet another attacker minutes.
Chance at regular football: 4/10
Demetri Mitchell
The underdog within the four. Demi Mitchell is loving life over in Scotland while playing for Hearts. In five games he’s won three Man of the Match awards and scored one goal. Already, the Hearts fans love him, and no doubt he’ll benefit massively from this experience.
With Luke Shaw returning to form, it may be tough for Mitchell to become the first-choice left-back. However, don’t be surprised to see both Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind sold over the summer, so there may well be an opportunity for some first-team chances.
Chance at regular football: 5/10
Timothy Fosu-Mensah
Timothy Fosu-Mensah is the most experienced out of the bunch. Under Louis van Gaal, he’d established himself as a Red Devils regular, but the Dutchman took a step back since Mourinho has taken over.
While playing for Crystal Palace, Fosu-Mensah has made great strides as a footballer and I fully expect him to come back to Old Trafford hungry for his chance. Following some dismal displays from both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, he may well get some minutes as a centre-half.
Chance at regular football: 7/10
Be the first to comment