Manchester United U23s manager Neil Wood has strongly suggested Hannibal Mejbri will remain a part of the youth set-up next season rather than step up to the first team.
Mejbri, 17, impressed during his debut season in English football as he helped United's U23s to promotion in the Premier League 2 only a year after joining the club from Monaco for a fee that could rise to €10million.
The creative midfielder only made his debut for United U18s last September before moving up the ranks to finish the season playing under Wood for the U23s.
After an encouraging first season many supporters are eager to see Mejbri develop at Old Trafford, but his youth manager has warned expectations need to be carefully managed for the teenager.
"I think what you need to remember is Hannibal is still a young lad, he is only 17," Wood told MEN Sport. "He's not long been here really, he is probably coming up to almost a first completed season if that.
"I think people get sucked into the price-tag, and again that is not Hannibal's fault. So I think he is a young player with potential, he is one of the young players we have got with potential, but there is still a lot of development and learning which needs to be put into him.
"We still need to get him to a higher level to get him to even go and train with the first-team, so there is no rush to start pushing him in that first-team environment right now.
"I think the challenge is going to be enough for him at U23s right now and we are going to push him and try to move him up as quick as we can, but at the same time we won't rush him if he's not ready to do that."
