As Manchester United’s pre-season tour draws closer, UtdDistrict are taking a look at five youngsters who Rúben Amorim will be keep an eye on.
Manchester United’s pre-season tour kicks off on Saturday, July 19th, with a clash with rivals Leeds United at Sweden’s Strawberry Stadium. This will be Ruben Amorim’s first pre-season tour with the club and will be an important opportunity for the manager to implement his style of play with the team.
The pre-season tour will be the fans’ first chance to see Matheus Cunha playing in red following his move from Wolves earlier in the window. United’s next transfer appears likely to be Bryan Mbeumo, but it remains uncertain whether this or any other transfers will be completed in time to join the first pre-season match.
In recent years, the pre-season tour has been a platform for academy players to announce themselves to the world and prove they are worthy of a place in the United first team. One of the most notable examples of this is Kobbie Mainoo, who stunned fans in an impressive performance in midfield against Arsenal and Declan Rice back in 2023.
Since then, Mainoo has been a regular starter for United and is a perfect example of who United youngsters want to emulate when they appear in pre-season.
Due to the number of substitutes that can be made during these friendlies, United fans will likely see a number of youngsters try to prove their worth. We have picked five in particular to keep an eye on this summer.
Chido Obi
Following his arrival from Arsenal Academy last summer, Chido Obi has been a widely spoken about prospect at the club. Obi recorded 16 goal involvements in 15 youth team appearances, which put him on the cusp of breaking into the first team by the end of the season.
For the senior team, Obi has made seven substitute appearances and one start. Despite not scoring in those appearances, Obi has grown within the squad and recently bagged a brace against Hong Kong during the team’s post-season tour.
With United yet to bring in another striker and Joshua Zirkzee being experimented with in deeper positions, it looks likely that Obi and Rasmus Højlund will be the club’s two main striking options during the pre-season tour.
Tyler Fredricson
Like Obi, Tyler Fredricson had started making first-team appearances at the back end of last season. Defensive injuries meant that the young centre-back had to step up and bolster United’s back line.
Fredricson started twice for Amorim, including a match where he played the full 90 minutes and secured a clean sheet against an in-form Wolves side.
While the squad’s defensive injuries have eased, Lisandro Martinez being the notable exception, there will still be room for Fredricson in the pre-season team due to the departures of Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelöf.
Sekou Kone
Having joined United’s academy from the Malian side Guidars FC last summer, Sekou Kone has been a shining example of the elite scouting that Christopher Vivell has brought to the club.
Kone has featured prominently for United’s youth teams this season as a defensive midfielder who possesses the ability to score the occasional screamer. His performances earned him a call-up to the United bench on three occasions, but he has yet to make his competitive debut for the first team.
Amorim is rumoured to want another midfielder to join the team before the market closes, but there isn’t a clear frontrunner to fill that role at present, nor is there any certainty that United will have the funds to buy a midfielder once they’ve spent further on the attack.
Kone made a cameo appearance in United’s post-season game against Hong Kong and may believe that if he is given a chance to prove himself in the pre-season, he could emulate Mainoo’s past success and be the player to fill that midfield role.
Shea Lacey
Shea Lacey is an 18-year-old winger from Liverpool whose talents in the United academy have earned him a place in the England national team’s youth set-up.
Lacey has featured for United’s under-18s and won the domestic title and Premier League Cup in the 2023/24 season. Lacey has been progressing through the United Academy and the England youth sides simultaneously, having featured for England’s under-15s, under-16s and now under-17s sides.
Whilst players in a similar vein to Lacey seem to be the priority for United’s signings this summer, there will still be space for him in the pre-season tour.
Mbuemo and Cunha will likely be the first names on the teamsheet in Lacey’s position, but with the likely departures of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho, the squad won’t have much depth in these positions.
Additionally, Amorim has shown a willingness to play wingers in attacking wing-back positions (as seen with Amad), meaning there will be several chances for Lacey to appear in pre-season.
Jaydan Kamason
Jaydan Kamason is a right-back who has been highly touted by those involved with United’s academy due to his attacking acumen.
Despite playing in a back four, Kamason has managed to register eight goal involvements for United’s youth teams this season. If given the chance to play in Amorim’s back five, where the full-backs are given more freedom to go forward, then he could become an attacking full-back in the style of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
In Amorim’s system, Kamason won’t only be competing for a place with established right-backs Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot, but also Amad and possibly Lacey, who may be utilised as attacking wing-backs.
Whilst this might seem like a difficult position to break into, Kamason has the opportunity to establish himself as the youth option on the right-hand side, and the pre-season tour may be a great opportunity for him to accomplish this.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.