Manchester United have been reaping the fruits of the club’s successful academy system lately.
FA Youth Cup winning duo Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo are now first team regulars, saving the club big transfer fees.
More are likely to follow from the academy, with young striker Ethan Wheatley making his debut last week, after helping the under-18s team to double success.
One player who is at risk of being left behind is a player once regarded as Manchester United’s brightest youth prospect.
Shola Shoretire could leave
Manchester United are fighting to try and keep hold of young talent Shola Shoretire, who has been unable to break into the team under Erik ten Hag.
Shoretire, now 20, is coming up to the end of his current contract this summer.
The attacking midfielder became one of United’s youngest ever players when he made his first team debut in 2021.
This came just after Shoretire signed his professional contract and turned down interest from clubs including Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, per Talksport.
He’s followed his dream at United, but you might wonder if Shoretire would have been better off taking one of those paths, with hindsight.
Shoretire did make the United first team bench for the FA Cup tie at Wigan Athletic in January, but did not get on and that has been his only involvement this season.
He has five total appearances for the club, two under Ralf Rangnick and three under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Manchester United not giving up on Shoretire
The MEN report United have not given up on trying to persuade Shola Shoretire to stay, however, face an uphill task.
The circumstances are similar to Angel Gomes, another diminutive record breaking attacking midfielder, who quit United on a free in 2020, and Shoretire will be highly tempted to do the same.
He is out with a minor injury at present, and has not figured for the under-21s since December. He was last pictured in first team training in early February.
Shoretire had begun the first half of the season in great form, netting nine and providing five assists.
United have an under-21 play-off game tonight, and assuming he does not make his return for that, we may have seen him pull on a Red Devils shirt for the last time.