Manchester United have reached a final verdict on a U17 midfielder after a “positive” trial period at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have struggled on the pitch since Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased a minority stake in the club, but they have been making significant strides off it.
Ratcliffe quickly appointed Jason Wilcox to the recruitment staff, leaving his role as Director of Football at Southampton. Before working on the coast, Wilcox worked in the academy system at Manchester City, making him the ideal candidate for youth recruitment at Old Trafford.
While he was originally working under Dan Ashworth, Wilcox has now been given more freedom and control of the transfer strategy, and many young players have come through the door since.
In the summer, Diego Leon was the highest profile youngster to walk through the Old Trafford door – not counting a young Slovenian known as Benjamin Šeško – but several other promising players followed suit.
Enzo Kana-Biyik joined the club before immediately signing for INEOS-owned Lausanne-Sport on loan; Harley Emsden-James was added to United’s under-16 ranks after joining from Southampton; and Christian Orozoco is now set to join next summer when he turns 18 years old.
Wilcox makes final Dabo call
The latest young prospect to be linked to United is Mouhamed Dabo. Like Sékou Koné, Dabo performed well at the under-17s World Cup, catching the eye of several United scouts.
At the beginning of the season, Dabo spent time at Old Trafford on a trial period, reportedly making a “positive impact” during his short spell, before the recruitment staff made a final decision on his future.
However, Manchester World have now reported that United have chosen not to sign the young defensive midfielder, although he has already agreed a pre-contract with Croatian side NK Kustošija after his Old Trafford disappointment.
If Dabo had earned a contract, he wouldn’t have been able to officially join the club until next summer.
Perhaps United have steered clear of Dabo as they already have a young defensive midfielder joining the club at the end of the season in Christian Orozoco. It is also important not to forget the central midfielders already in the academy: Jacob Devaney, Jayce Fitzgerald, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher and Koné.
Devaney could be next for debut
United’s under-21s side have been much more impressive than the senior team this season. At the heart of their impressive form has been captain Jacob Devaney, who has also made his Republic of Ireland under-21s debut in the summer.
While he is a natural defensive midfielder, Devaney has also filled in as a centre-back and right-back this campaign, allowing his more creative teammates to shine in a more advanced role.
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With the first team struggling so much, introducing academy players won’t be easy, but Devaney could be the exact type of character Amorim needs in his squad.
The under-21s captain is a born leader and can often be heard over the crowd during youth games. His out-of-possession qualities could be of use when United are trying to see out games, as they failed to do against West Ham United.
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