Manchester United’s revival under Erik ten Hag is going great guns with the current crop of players mustering a cohesion that has been longed for since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
But while the wheels are turning within the present first-team ranks, the manager will be keeping one eye on the future as the rebuild project chugs along. It will take a number of years for United to reincarnate themselves into consistent challengers once again.
This quest becomes muddied by Newcastle’s cash-boosted rocketing rise that has developed at a faster rate of knots than Manchester City managed to achieve. But Arsenal’s exploits this season show it can be done, and it can be done with younger players.
READ MORE: Sunderland boss agrees with Erik ten Hag’s stance on Amad
Mikel Arteta invested in youth with a long-term vision in mind and while most of United’s FA Youth Cup- winning stars are not quite ready for the big time just yet, you can be sure Ten Hag is doing the same thing as his Arsenal rival.
Alejandro Garnacho is the first fruit of this strategy with Zidane Iqbal also promoted to first-team training this season while Rhys Bennett impressed when given the chance during last month’s training trip to Spain amid the World Cup break.
Four fellow youngsters have been sent out on loan to Championship clubs this season and are all ticking the development boxes. The starlet United fans are most excited about is Amad.
The striker has scored six goals in his last 11 matches for Sunderland and is producing the kind of football that has made Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray implore Ten Hag to avoid a recall.
The Ivorian, 20, has already scored his first Reds senior goal, netting in the club’s Europa League tie with AC Milan in March 2021.
But a lack of playtime and a poor loan spell at Rangers last year had fans worried. United paid around £37m to Atalanta for his services in 2020 and there had been little sign of significant progress since.
But Ten Hag encouraged him to try again and he is reaping the rewards as he leaves his teenage years behind. United have noted his development and see a future for him at Old Trafford. Another player impressing in Ethan Laird, who was loaned to Queens Park Rangers for the season.
Like Amad, the right-back’s last trip away was stop-start. After an encouraging beginning to last season with Swansea, he found life hard at Bournemouth during the second half.
He is now a regular at Loftus Road and is considered a key player, keeping seven clean sheets in 21 outings while grabbing a goal and two assists. While Laird is trying to edge his way into the United senior squad, Hannibal Mejbri attempted to bundle into it last season.
During his loan period, Birmingham boss John Eustace has tried to rein in his explosive nature which saw him leave a stud or two on Jordan Henderson in last season’s 4-0 loss to Liverpool. It’s a gradual process and the midfielder does have six yellow cards in his 20 Blues outings but he is also producing at the same time.
He has recorded three assists so far and has failed to miss a game since his introduction at St James’ Park, allowing him to become somewhat of a fan-favourite. A World Cup appearance with Tunisia wouldn't have hurt either.
Finally, last year’s United Under-23s player of the season Alvaro Fernandez is also delivering the goods at Preston.
He’s been able to show his attacking and defensive qualities at wing-back which will have surely piqued the interest of Ten Hag. Fernandez, a left-back, has tallied four assists in his 21 matches at Deepdale, also keeping six clean sheets.
It’s evident Ten Hag has listened to his advisors and done his own due diligence and it’s paying off. Hannibal revealed before the new year that he can speak with Ten Hag at any point and has constant communication with Darren Fletcher and other United development staff, which demonstrates the United manager’s interest in their progress.
The quad of aforementioned players may still be a little way off regular first-team minutes at United with all at various stages in their development.
But they can all have a role to play down the line once matured, and it’s one piece of evidence that shows how Ten Hag is trying to future-proof his rebuild.
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