Manchester United’s midfield has been a topic of discussion all season, and with the club set to sign at least one midfielder next summer, they may already have their next midfield star in their academy.
A large portion of Manchester United’s summer transfer budget was dedicated to addressing their struggles in front of goal, after scoring only 44 times in the Premier League last season.
The club spent around £214 million to assemble a new attacking trio of Benjamin Šeško, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha, before turning their focus toward strengthening the midfield. A move for Carlos Baleba was explored but ultimately abandoned due to the high asking price.
As a result, the only place for club captain Bruno Fernandes, in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 setup, has been to play deeper as part of the midfield pivot, where his attacking abilities have been lessened.
The Portuguese midfielder has always played his best football further forward, but his defensive role in the pivot has been criticised, with United’s midfield often being overrun.
Jim Thwaites trained with the first team
While United are set to spend big on midfield targets in January and even next summer, one Academy midfield prospect could be the long-term answer to the club’s midfield problems.
As reported by centredevils, 17-year-old Jim Thwaites has trained with the first-team squad as he looks like the next academy prospect to make the step up to the senior squad.
Thwaites is a highly versatile midfielder who can play across the middle of the park. He has played as a deep-lying midfielder, box-to-box, or as an attacking playmaker over his years at the academy, making him a unique asset to Amorim’s side going forward.
The outlet reports that Amorim and his coaching staff have been impressed with him this season for the academy, as well as the few first-team training sessions he’s had, with the club seeing him as one of their best technical talents in the academy.
His brilliant close-control dribbling, fantastic ball-carrying and incredible passing vision have earned Thwaites comparisons with Barcelona’s Pedri.
Lack of minutes for Academy talent
Although Amorim has frequently invited Academy prospects to train with the first team during his time at the club, Thwaites himself was part of Amorim’s first training session when he took over. Turning those training opportunities into actual game time has proven more difficult.
This season, even with several senior players struggling for form, chances for Academy graduates have been limited. Amorim has largely chosen to rely on his established first-team squad rather than introducing younger players into competitive matches.
A major obstacle for United’s youth is the lack of available minutes caused by the absence of European football, following their defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in last season’s Europa League final.
The situation was made worse by an early and disappointing Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby Town in the second round, leaving United with only one fixture per week until the FA Cup third round begins on January 10.
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