Manchester United starlet praised for “unplayable” performance as first-team debut path explained

One Manchester United Academy star has been praised for an “unplayable” performance against Tottenham Hotspur’s U21s on Friday evening.

While Manchester United’s first-team squad have been going through a rough time under Rúben Amorim during his opening months in charge, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the club’s academy.

Under the new head coach, the club have won 10 of their 20 fixtures, drawing two and losing a further eight, with five of these losses coming at Old Trafford.

However, the club’s U18s and U21s teams have been brilliant, with the U18s sat second in their league table and the U21s third in the Premier League 2 league standings.

The club have a whole host of exciting young talents who are bursting for a chance with the first-team, with the likes of Harry Amass, Chido Obi-Martin, and Gabriele Biancheri all receiving plaudits for recent performances.

Kone’s “unplayable” display against Tottenham

United have spent a lot of time recruiting young players in the last 12 months, having secured the likes of Obi-Martin and Ayden Heaven from Arsenal, while other young talents such as Diego Leon are set to join soon.

However, the player who may become the next ready-made recruit to force his way into the first team is 18-year-old Sekou Kone, who joined United from Mali club Guidars FC for a reported £1 million fee in the summer.

Kone has been slowly making his way through the club’s Academy ranks as he adjusts to life in Manchester and was recently praised for being “unplayable” against Tottenham Hotspur U21s in a Premier League 2 fixture.

Those who follow the club’s Academy on a regular basis were stunned at just how good Kone was last week, with his match highlights above showing clear defensive and offensive proficiency.

Travis Binnion’s side went on to win the tie 2-0 thanks to strikes from Malachi Sharpe in the first period and Jack Moorhouse in the second, while goalkeeper Elyh Harrison made several fantastic saves to keep the club’s clean sheet intact.

Kone’s first-team debut path explained

While Kone has spent most of the time within the club’s Academy ranks, many are hoping that he will make his debut for the first-team soon.

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While United have been keen to take their time with the young midfielder’s development, there are clear signs that they are ramping up his game time and he may become involved with the first-team before the end of the season.

Kone was unfortunate earlier this season after he suffered an injury that kept him out of action for around a month while facing Huddersfield Town in the EFL cup. Still, he has started numerous times for the club’s youth teams of late, showing that he is beginning to become a trusted part of the club’s Academy.

With United lacking in midfielder and Casemiro potentially leaving on loan this month, Kone will no doubt be granted chances to train with the first team and impress Amorim over the coming months.

It’s expected that Kone will travel with the club on pre-season, and should his development continue, he may be granted initial first-team minutes while on tour before making his official debut next season.

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