Manchester United agreed a deal in May to sign talented 18-year-old striker Enzo Kana-Biyik on a five-year deal, but who is he?
With Manchester United now planning for the future, the club are making an increasing amount of acquisitions regarding up-and-coming talents.
Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took over football operations at Old Trafford, there have been several teenage talents who have walked through the doors, with a couple even featuring in the first team squad.
Both Chido Obi Martin and Ayden Heaven picked up minutes under Ruben Amorim last season, despite only being 17 and 18, whilst Sekou Kone and Diego Leon have also been purchased for the future.
This being said, 18-year-old Enzo Kana-Biyik is the newest addition to United’s future plans, having been signed on a free transfer from Le Havre due to his contract expiring.
If history is anything to go by, this is a good sign for United. Paul Pogba also made the same move from Le Havre to United as a youngster.
Who is Kana-Biyik?
United look to be adopting a similar model to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City, where they send lots of young talent to their partner clubs in order to develop them.
Kana-Biyik could be the one to get the ball rolling in this sense, with a loan to Ratcliffe-owned Swiss club FC Lausanne-Sport pending.
The young Frenchman managed nine goals and one assist in 18 games for Le Havre U19’s last season, and is described as a talented striker with very intelligent movement and instincts in front of goal.
According to United In Focus, United’s new talent isn’t overly imposing, but uses his body well to create space and interlink with teammates. Similarly to Hugo Ekitike, who Amorim’s side have been linked with this summer.
INEOS’ plan for Kana-Biyik
As previously stated, the 2007-born striker looks set to spend the 2025/26 campaign at Lausanne-Sport, although Amorim will be able to get a close look at him in pre-season.
Unlike the likes of Heaven, Kana-Biyik wasn’t brought in with any intention of featuring in the first team for now, but it will be interesting to see how he develops in Switzerland.
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United have already started utilising their new multi-club model, with youngsters Habeeb Ogunneye, Jack Kingdon and Ethan Williams all training with the Swiss side back in October, via Manchester Evening News.
It has also been reported by United In Focus that Kana-Biyik may not be the only United youngster to be Swiss-bound, but it is still uncertain as to who will be joining the French wonderkid.
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