Anthony Elanaga is at an awkward crossroads in his promising Manchester United career.
On Monday night, the 19-year-old made another appearance for the first-team, his seventh in total, as he replaced the misfiring Marcus Rashord in the final five minutes of the match.
Despite only being on the pitch for a brief spell, Elanga managed to light it up, dazzling the Old Trafford crowd with his fearless approach and desire to get on the ball at every opportunity.
Whereas, Elanga's role model Rashford looked uncomfortable with the ball at his feet and the expectation that came with it. The younger player, meanwhile, offered an innocent alternative — a youngster who relished the limelight and another opportunity to live his first-team dream.
With the England international out of sorts and in need of a break, United have a clear alternative in the Swedish teenager, a player who is still very raw but has undeniable talents and a tremendous work ethic.
Yet, despite such enormous potential, Elanga is still faced with somewhat of a dilemma as he contemplates the pivotal next step in his fledgling career.
Just like last summer, there is significant interest being shown in a loan deal for the Sweden youth international this month and United would have no trouble at all matching the young winger with an appropriate move at a competitive level.
Elanga is also understood to be open to such a move, given that his ultimate goal is to be playing as much as possible. But the club are operating with an air of caution amid an ongoing pandemic that could see their squad depth tested to the limits.
Ralf Rangnick, like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is a huge fan of the teenage talent and already recognises him as a first-team player rather than a youth team hopeful.
The fact that Elanga was on the bench against Aston Villa on Monday night while the U23 side faced Tottenham in the Premier League 2 at Leigh Sports Village demonstrates that trust, as does the new contract he signed on Christmas Eve last year — his second new contract only nine months after signing his previous at the club.
Elanga also has plenty of fans in the senior squad, with Bruno Fernandes one of those impressed with his maturity and the professionalism that he is showing at such a tender age.
The youngster faces a pivotal few months if he is to ever fulfil such enormous potential. And to help him, United might need to step back from their own conflict of interests.
Like a greedy toddler who gets jealous when others play with their toys, United have no immediate need for an abundance of fringe players yet they refuse to let another team take them when there is any sniff of rival interest.
In the weeks ahead, United's fortunes will not (and should not) rely on the availability of a raw teenage talent like Elanga, though they'd rather have him as a back-up just in case, which is not necessarily the best for his individual development.
The former Malmo youngster could see his career take off with a successful loan spell in which he plays a full match at a competitive level every week, though that needs to be counter-balanced with the priceless experience he is currently gaining training alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani on a daily basis.
While staying at United until the end of the season might see Elanga replace Rashford in the short-term, going out on loan could better suit him on the pathway to replacing him permanently in the long-term.
Ultimately, the issue is that there is no obvious next step to take. For every reason to go out on loan, there appears to be another compelling argument for him to stay.
It's a dilemma they only have two-and-a-half weeks left to solve.
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