Rúben Amorim has the chance to start a Manchester United Academy star dubbed one of the best in his age group amid their current goalkeeping woes.
Manchester United‘s goalkeeping situation has been a sensitive topic for the fans these past weeks. From fans to pundits, everyone is pointing out the poor performance of André Onana, particularly in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals against Lyon.
Prior to the match, there was a heated exchange between Onana and Lyon’s Nemanja Matic. The ex-Chelsea man had criticised Onana’s goalkeeping performances while at Old Trafford.
While the United goalkeeper’s goal was to maintain a clean sheet on their visit to Groupama Stadium, the Cameroonian goalkeeper’s performance was rather terrible.
To keep the regular keeper out of the heat, manager Amorim decided to make a change in the form of Altay Bayindir’s introduction for their fixture against the Magpies on Sunday. However, the decision was met with regret after the match by the Portuguese manager.
Amorim can hand Harisson a chance
Ever since United parted ways with David de Gea in June 2023, the goalkeeping position for the Red Devils has been a massive concern. As of right now, the £47 million price paid for Onana has not been justified by his performances.
Moreover, United’s recent stunt with Bayındır against Newacstle also failed miserably. Due to these circumstances, the management will undoubtedly look at this position during the summer window.
However, as of now, United do have an option that can be utilised till the end of the season, which has led some to suggest that Amorim should look to give young star Elyh Harrison a chance in goal.
United Academy expert Academy Scoop recently dubbed Harrison as one of “the best goalkeeper prospects for his age in Europe,” and although it’s unlikely that the youngster will get the nod against Lyon, there could be scope to hand him a Premier League debut for the end of the campaign.
Who is United’s Academy star Harrison?
The 19-year-old joined United from Stevenage back in 2022. The goalkeeper spent the first half of the 2024-25 season on loan at Chester before making a return to Carrington in January.
As of right now, the teenager has only conceded 27 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions. The question now stands is If he is a viable option for Amorim’s team till the end of the season?
While the futures of Onana and Bayındır remain in serious question heading into the summer market and Tom Heatons set to depart Old Trafford once the campaign ends, Harrison may be the only goalkeeper to have trained with the first-team who may remain at the club.
With Amorim’s entire campaign now hinging on winning the Europa League, there is solid scope for the teenager to be handed a club debut before the end of the season, with the Premier League now almost utterly useless.
Even if United were to get knocked out of Europa before the final or win the competition as a whole, the final day of the league season does not kick off until after the Europa League has finished.
That last fixture, a dead-rubber tie for United against Aston Villa, presents a fantastic chance for Harrison’s potential senior debut at United.
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