There are a number of reasons for Manchester United fans to be excited about their side’s return to competitive action.
There is Champions League football to play for, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba will return from long-term injuries, and Bruno Fernandes will hopefully replicate the impressive form he showed after joining from Sporting Lisbon in January.
There could also be opportunities for the United stars of tomorrow to prove their worth.
This season, Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams have become first-team regulars under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while 18-year-old centre-back Teden Mengi has been training with the senior squad ahead of Friday’s game against Tottenham Hotspur.
With Mengi looking like the next academy graduate to win his league debut, here are five more United youth players hoping to make their top-flight bow in the near future.
Ethan Galbraith
The Northern Irish midfielder has been a mainstay in the Under-23s for a while, matching Mengi’s 18 appearances for Neil Wood’s side this season.
Galbraith recently impressed in one of United’s two friendlies against West Bromwich Albion, having made his debut earlier this season with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it late cameo against Astana.
Renowned for his ball control and ability to pick passes over the top of defences in tight spaces, Galbraith has already earned his debut at senior international level.
While he is likely to go out on loan when the transfer window opens, the midfielder will hope to make a matchday squad in the coming weeks with nine substitutes now permitted on the bench.
Hannibal Mejbri
The Frenchman has generated a great deal of buzz around Old Trafford since joining from Monaco last year.
Initially installed in the U18s, Mejbri quickly stepped up a grade to the U23s and has already trained with the seniors on a few occasions.
And as reported by MEN in May, United had planned to fast-track the attacking midfielder into the first-team before securing Fernandes’ signature in January.
While clearly technically gifted, there is a suggestion that Mejbri has a long way to go in his physical development before featuring for the first-team on a regular basis.
Arnau Puigmal
The 19-year-old Spaniard has made impressive strides through United’s underage ranks since joining the club in 2017.
Like Mengi, Puigmal was an unused substitute in United’s Europa League defeat by Astana in November.
A versatile operator, having played at right-back and central midfield for the U23s, Puigmal is a renowned set-piece specialist and is also adept at timing his runs from deep into the box.
Another one likely to be loaned out in the future, Puigmal will hope to make another matchday squad and perhaps get some minutes under his belt before a developmental spell elsewhere.
Largie Ramazani
Like Galbraith, Ramazani came off the bench for the final few minutes of that defeat by Astana, and will be hoping to take his place on Solskjaer’s bench once again in the coming weeks.
The 19-year-old Belgian has a lightning turn of pace and a low centre of gravity, allowing him to skip past defenders out wide before surging into the box.
An explosive two-footed attacker, Ramazani has notched some impressive numbers this season with 10 goals in 16 U23s appearances per Transfermarkt.
Another player who has made significant progress in United’s ranks over the last 12 months, Ramazani has the tools to make an impact from the bench in one of the Red Devils’ remaining games.
Max Taylor
The 20-year-old defender is still pushing hard for his senior debut after making the Astana matchday squad in November.
Taylor has overcome great adversity to remain in United’s ranks having been diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2018, before completing his chemotherapy in early 2019.
The centre-back has proceeded to make seven appearances for the U23s his term.
Should he manage to break through and feature under Solskjaer, it would be a dream conclusion to what has been a tremendously difficult two years.
