Breakdown
Today I will be reviewing the top 10 Man United youngsters at the club and giving a description on them and a rating out of 10 on their odds to break into the first team. Some of these players have already broken through or played games for the first team so those are automatic 9/10 or 10/10’s. The players will also get a comparison to a player. Just so I don’t get one million comments on this I am just comparing their play styles. So I am not saying that they are going to be as good as that player, I am just saying they play similarly. I am going to try to do one of these every year and see how my predictions go. Around this time last year I did one but that blog has seemed to be lost, I do remember some of the players. I had Garnacho at 1 and Kobbie Mainoo at 2. A lot of players have moved off that list and I think that only 3 or 4 will remain on this list. Anthony Elanga was number 3 on that list, I wish we didn’t sell him I was a big fan. Some were in that blog I said that Anthony Elanga would be the next Nani so maybe take this list with a grain of salt. Anyways with all that out of the way let’s get into the list.
10. Joe Hugill 6/10
Joe Hugill is a 20 year old 6’2 striker currently starting for the Man United U21 team. In just 8 games in the U21 premier league he has 6 goals and 1 assist. He is a very pure striker with great shooting and dribbling. You wont expect him to be dribbling through the whole team. Although his turning and dribbling in the box is next level. He is great while receiving the ball at his feet and can sometimes run onto a through ball. I would compare his play style similar to Harry Kane with more pace but less shot talent. I think by this time next season he will be coming off the bench regularly for Man United as Martial will probably be sold. So I don’t think there is a huge chance that he will become a starter for Man United. Although I definitely think he can become a great backup or even sell him down the line for around 30 to 40 million.
9. Mateo Mejia 7/10
Mateo Mejia 20 year old 6’1 right winger currently starting for the Man United U21 team. Alongside Hugill he has also played 8 games and has 3 goals and 4 assists. This guy can kind of do it all, he can run, shoot, pass, dribble. He has a great pace coming down the wing and often uses his pace and dribbling to beat defenders. Then after he beats his defender the rest of the defence has no idea what he is going to do. Is he going to go wide, cut in, shoot, pass, they have no idea. A lot of his goals are like Antony’s, he likes to cut in and whip a finesse shot in the top corner. A lot of his assist’s have been to Hugill off a cut back pass. I think he could really excel in the first team. I would compare his play style similar to Neymar jr. Now I don’t think he will ever be as good as Neymar but you can hope.
8. Alvaro Fernandez 7/10
Alvaro Fernandez is a 20 year old 6’1 left back currently on loan in LaLiga with club Granada FC. He is currently coming off the bench for Granada but I really don’t understand why. Alvaro usually will come off the bench in the 70th to 80th minute, not a lot of time to make an impact. When he does come on though his impact is felt instantly. He is Granada’s 6th highest rated player so far this season. That is very impressive considering he is coming off the bench as a defender for one of the worst teams in LaLiga. Granada sits in 19th place in LaLiga, which is second last. I think they should really start giving him a shot to prove himself. I think if he gets more playing time, he can help them stay up this year. His playing style is most comparable to Luke Shaw. He loves to make great through balls and crosses for scoring opportunities. On defence he is also great with amazing tackles and positioning to cut off passing lanes. Just like Shaw he doesn’t use pace to play defence or move the ball up. He uses his great technical skills to get around players on offence. On defence he uses his great tackling and IQ to stop attackers. I could see him coming back from loan and being an impact player off the bench soon.
7. Shola Shoretire 7/10
Shola Shoretire is a 19 year old 5’6 attacking midfielder currently starting for the Man United U21 team. I don’t know how he is only 19 because it feels like he has been around forever. He broke the youth Champions league goal record at just the age of 14. Shola has been a top prospect ever since. He had an impressive loan spell at Bolton last season and he continues to impress. In 10 games for the U21 team he has 6 goals and 3 assists. He has great speed and explosiveness either coming off the right or coming down the middle. His best attribute has to be his dribbling which is probably the best in all of the U21 premier league. The way he is able to just glide through defenders with ease is just amazing to watch. I would compare his play style to Di maria at Man United. He has great dribbling but can also pass and score at an elite level
6. Daniel Gore 8/10
Daniel Gore is a 19 year old 5’8 central midfielder currently starting for the Man United U21 team. This guy is going to be a special player some day. Erik Ten Hag please don’t rush this guy. He is so smooth and calm with the ball at his feet. He can control a game all by himself while playing deep. I would compare his to a play style to a Pirlo at AC Milan. He isn’t the fastest but he is not slow. His amazing dribbling and passing but often doesn’t show on the stats. He likes to play deeper so he often doesn’t get assists but if you watch him you will see what I am talking about. Imagine Sergio Busquets at Barcelona. He could control a whole game just by himself but wouldn’t show up on the score sheet. I’m not saying he will be like Pirlo or Busquets, but i’m saying he can make an impact like that on a game. If he gets rushed into the first team too fast I fear that he could lose he confidence and calm style of play.
5. Hannibal Mejbri 9/10
Hannibal Mejbri is a 20 year old 6’0 attacking midfielder currently playing for the Man United first team. I remember hearing about Hannibal in 2020. He had just come up to the Man United U21 team and was lighting it on fire. Then he just never really got a chance to play for the first team and I was sure they were going to sell him. He wasn’t playing good football at Man United and needed a new team to refresh his football. Then in 2022 he went on loan to Birmingham and lit it up. Hannibal was scoring free kicks, long shots, amazing assists, insane dribbles and much more. He went from, on his way out of the club to one of Man United’s top prospects. Hannibal returned from the loan this season and has been playing pretty well. He has only been featured in 2 Premier league games so far but he started in both of them. He started his first game against Brighton and they lost 3-1. Although in the 73 minute Hannibal bagged a great goal for Man United and his first goal for the club. He then started again against Burnley and put in another great performance, being one of Man United’s highest rated players. He has only been featured in cup games after that. I think Ten Hag should give him more chances as he has already proved himself in the premier league. I would compare his playing style to Bernardo Silva. For his great dribbling and passing and knack for ending up on the score sheet.
4. Facundo Pellistri 9/10
Facundo Pellistri is a 21 year old 5’7 right winger currently playing for the Man United first team. It feels weird to say Pellistri is 21 years old. It still feels like he is a 17 year old kid. Man United bought Pellistri from Penarol for 8.5 million euros back in 2020. They then loaned him out to Spanish side Alaves. He didn’t do great on that loan spell and there was no room for him at Man United so they sent him back to Alaves. He struggled even more in his second spell. His market value dropped from 7 million to 2.5 million. It looked like the signing of Pellistri was a bust. Then when he came back to United something changed. He became a new player with amazing pace, dribbling, and passing. He even starts for Uruguay off the right. In Uruguay’s most recent game he got an assist and was their highest rated player. He is even being favoured at Man United more than their 95 million euro signing Antony. It now looks like after Garnacho and Rashford, Pellistri is the next in line for the winger position. That 8.5 million euro price tag now looks like a steal. If Ten Hag continues to give Pellistri chances I think he can grow into a very special player. My player comparison would be Ousmane Dembele for his great pace and ability to use both feet. Also him and Dembele to like to cut in as much and like to go down the wing and cut back a pass.
3. Amad Diallo
Amad Diallo is 21 year old 5’7 right winger currently playing for the Man United first team. Diallo was Man United’s big January transfer window signing back in 2021. They signed him from Atalanta for 21 million euros that transfer window. That is a lot of pressure for an 18 year old kid that hasn’t played that much first team football. He played in the United U23 team and some appearances for the first team for a year. Then he was loaned out to Scottish side Rangers. He played very quietly at Rangers. When he returned talks of him being a flop signing started to happen. He was then loaned back out that same summer to English side Sunderland in the Championship. I think that this was the perfect move to get his career back. He started lighting it up for Sunderland. He started doing so well that Sunderland tried to buy him. Diallo put up 13 goals and 3 assists to put together an impressive season for Sunderland. Then when he came back from the loan, the hype was high. Diallo hasn’t had much playing time due to injury. Although when he comes back I expect him to put up a great season. I would compare his play style most to Mohammad Salah. He has great pace and a killer left foot to cut inside on. Again he most likely put up Mo Salah numbers, but watch him. He tends to play like him a lot.
2. Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo is a 18 year old 5’8 central midfielder currently playing for the Man United first team. Mainoo first came on my radar through FIFA 23. He had just got added to the game with an 86 potential. If you don’t play FIFA, that was one of the highest potentials in the premier league. I then looked him up and realised that he was lightning up the U23 league. He was later promoted to the first team. He only made one appearance last season off the bench. Although it was an amazing performance. I was expecting him to step into a bigger role this season. He also impressed heavily in the preseason. Then in the last game of the preseason his sustained a knee injury. That injury has kept him out ever since. He is starting to work his way back into training and onto the bench now though. I hope that Ten Hag will start to work him onto the field off the bench. I think by the end of the season he should even be starting some games. The way he is just able to dribble and pass to create chances is incredible. He can shut a player down on defence with his amazing IQ and tackling. Then he will dribble through you and give a great pass to a forward. I would compare his playing style to Paul Scholes at Man United. I think Scholes is a more talented passer but Mainoo beat him and defence, pace, and dribbling.
1. Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho is a 19 year old 5’11 left winger currently playing for the Man United first team. I know Garnacho is only 19 and played one season for Man United but, he is already my favourite player for Man United. The way he is always able to come up in big moments for the team at such a young age is incredible. Even though he doesn’t have any goals in the premier league this season is explainable. Ten Hag likes to bring him on late in games. He has started him the past couple of games but before that it was coming in, in the 80th minute. He also has a goal in the EFL cup. Garnacho will find the back of the net soon enough. I think if he stays on this trajectory he could be a very special player for United. In the game vs Everton tomorrow I will expect him to start. I’m going to throw out a prediction right now. He is going to get his first premier league goal against Everton tomorrow. I would compare his play style to a young Cristiano Ronaldo. He has the pace, dribbling, and shooting of a young Ronaldo. Although the thing that reminds me most of Ronaldo is his ability to come up in big situations. When the team needs him the most and he is coming off the bench, Garnacho can make a big play to help them. Unlike a young Ronaldo or any Ronaldo really, he is a great passer. He somehow always knows how to make the right play. That’s why he is one of the most valuable 19 year old in the world.
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