The MLS newcomer slammed his fist on the table with a strong pick in the Superdraft.
MLS continues preparations for the 2025 season with the highly anticipated SuperDraft. As part of preparations for the 2025 season, the league recently announced its schedule, with the league's 30 teams learning their matches. Another major milestone took place this Friday: the annual MLS SuperDraft.
With the arrival of San Diego FC as the league's newest expansion franchise, the Southern California team had the honor of making the first overall selection in the draft. They used their pick to select 19-year-old midfielder Manu Duah, a standout from De Santa Barbara SC of MLS Next and a student-athlete at De Santa Barbara University.
San Diego FC head coach Mikey Varas praised the young talent in an interview with MLS. He described Duah as a player with huge potential who could become one of the best players in the league and excel in his position.
“With Manu it was very clear that he is a player with enormous potential – already good, but capable of improving even further. He could dominate MLS in a few years,” Varas said at a press conference.
Manu Duah is inspired by Sergio Busquets
One of the main factors behind San Diego's decision to draft Duah was his exceptional ability to control the midfield – a skill that reminded Varas of Sergio Busquets' exploits for Inter Miami.
Duah himself acknowledged Busquets as a great inspiration and agreed with the comparison with the legendary Spanish midfielder.
“He is my favorite player. I admire his playing style and I learn a lot from watching him,” Duah said after the draft. “The main difference is that I am more athletic than Busquets, but he is incredible. I love how teams build through him, and I aspire to play a similar role for San Diego FC. I enjoy being part of teams that want to build to number six.”
With his talent and ambitions, Manu Duah is poised to become a key figure for San Diego FC as they prepare for their MLS debut.