Manchester United has a long history of youth development with a remarkable record that goes back 88 years … and counting.
Since 1937 they have recorded at least one Youth Academy player in every senior matchday team.
Since then they have bragged Duncan Edwards, George Best, Bobby Charlton, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs.
And that proud run continues, where Kobbie Mainoo gets their chance in the first team.
This season manager Ruben Amorim has used Harry Amass, a left back with considerable potential, and Chido Obi, a target score that they signed of the Arsenal Academy.
There is an expectation that next season, that the first full season for Amorim will be in the club, will be more successful with United expects to push the table to compete at least for Champions League qualification.
To achieve this, however, they have to recruit heavily to improve their team in key positions.
But they also have to promote the best of their Academy stars, to fill in the team and offer real competition for places.
Only the very best will succeed at Old Trafford, so that the bet is high.
We have identified three of the young players who could turn Amorim and his coaching staff the following season to supplement the team.
Jack Fletcher – 18, midfielder
The first player we have chosen is a young midfielder who has a name that fans of the club will be very famous.
Jack Fletcher is the son of the former United and Scotland -midfielder Darren Fletcher and together with his twin brother Tyler he moved to the United Academy of Rivals Manchester City.
Now Jack Fletcher is on the edge of the United First Team and in a position where he can strive for the next season.
As a midfield player, Fletcher has a bit of everything around his game.
Able to play deep or more advanced midfield positions, he is very intelligent with his positioning and his reading of the game.
His technical level and receiving skills are very high and he shows the ability to take possession in tight areas when opposition players want to print.
Fletcher is a young player with the possibility to bring calmness and calm to the midfield unit for United.
If Amorim wants to continue with a two -man midfield, then Fletcher is the type of player who could play in addition to a Manuel Ugarte to really balance.
While Ugarte could act as the ball winner, Fletcher could get on the ball and really dictate and continue the ball through the third parties.
Fletcher is a young midfielder who can go on the ball and combine and play, but also works to break opposition attacks.
He would expect that he will receive exposure to the first team of football next season.
Sekou Kone – 19, midfielder
The second player is someone who has signed United to prevent in their higher age academy teams with a view to the fact that he is quickly followed to the first team of football.
Sekou Kone is a 19-year-old Malian Youth International who moved to United in August 2024 from Guidars FC from Mali.
It is a characteristic of the conviction that United has in the player that they were willing to sign the young midfielder for £ 1.2 million.
KONE is a midfielder with a different profile than Jack Fletcher.
Although Fletcher is a clear product of Academy Football as it moves and receives the ball from a technical point of view, Kone is perhaps the more naturally gifted player, but someone who is more unpredictable and chaotic in the positions he takes and holds his actions.
KONE is an energetic player who covers a lot of land, but his reading of the game and the ability to play through all thirds really brings a lot of value to his team.
Ideally, he could play as an 8 in a midfield with three men, but his profile also works in a two -man midfield because he has the opportunity to cover large spaces, both in the attacking and the defensive phases of the game.
In possession of the ball, he can pass and break lines to move the ball forward and through the third parties, but he can also drive forward with the ball at his feet as he beats opposition players and can effectively move his team to the last third.
KONE is a midfielder with a rare profile.
He has the physical and technical level to play at Premier League level and he can have a real impact for United next season.
What really strikes him than other prospects is his ability to receive the ball and break open a game by doing the unexpected.
Tyler Fredricson – 20, defender
Tyler Fredricson is a young central defender who came through the Academy in United.
He also came to Wolves in the team for last weekend's game and played the full 90 minutes.
Given that under Amorim we will probably see that United will continue to play in a arrears three system, this means that there are opportunities for young defenders to get playing time.
They already have Ayden Heaven, another young player from Arsenal, as a left -sided center back in their system.
But it is clear that Fredricson has attracted the attention of the coaching staff of the first team and against Wolves, despite the result, he certainly looked like he can play at that level.
Warrior and dedicated against the ball in the defensive phase It is also remarkable that Fredricson has the opportunity to continue the ball and to play ahead, something that is missing around the other central defenders of United.
Fredricson is naturally with the right range, but in the match against Wolves he showed his versatility to play from the left three.
This versatility will probably cause him to get more exposure to the level of the first team.
The fact that he can play comfortably because each of the three positions in the rear three makes him valuable as a team option.
Continuing lines was consistently impressive in the match against Wolves, but he has built up a reputation at the level of youth as a dominant defending player who is very strong in duels and in the challenge.
It is still to be seen whether he can translate this to senior level and in the Premier League, but it is likely that he will get the chance.
If you start the following season, there is every chance that a player with Fredricson's profile will have the chance to be around the first team team in United.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that Man United is a team that has consistently given priority to youth development and the integration of youth team players in the first team.
Although the team needs a lot of work in the field of recruitment, they also have room in their team to develop these three excellent young players.