Erik ten Hag could save millions in the January transfer window with a number of Manchester United youngsters knocking on the door for more first-team call-ups.
Alejandro Garnacho became the latest Manchester United academy graduate to start a Premier League game for the Red Devils when he started the 3-1 defeat against Aston Villa in November.
Erik ten Hag has been renowned for bringing through young talent, having had so much success at Ajax with youth including Frenkie de Jong, Antony and Donny van de Beek. The trio have gone on to be sold for huge transfer fees to Barcelona and United respectively as Ten Hag developed a fairly young side at the Dutch club.
The Red Devils also have a history of having such a successful academy, with Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Marcus Rashford amongst the best to come out of Carrington since the start of the Premier League era. But there are now a new set of stars that can come through and save Ten Hag millions, such as Garnacho and many others.
So, with that in mind, here are five names who could save United a lot of money in January.
Alejandro Garnacho
The 18-year-old has been tipped to have a stellar career at Old Trafford, having joined the club from Atletico Madrid in 2020 for a fee in the region of just £420,000. Garnacho, who also helped the Under-18s to win the FA Youth Cup last season, has been a firm fixture in the United squad this term, netting twice in 10 appearances so far.
Garnacho is already worth almost more than 10 times the amount the Red Devils paid for him two years ago after impressing under Erik ten Hag this season. After scoring his first senior goal in a 1-0 victory at Real Sociedad, Garnacho added another, this time off the bench in the dying enviers at Fulham.
With a couple of crucial strikes, Garnacho is showing his importance to the United side already despite his tender age and Ten Hag could save millions by utilising the talent at his disposal. He is a quick, pacey winger who can cause defences nightmares, and has already demonstrated his qualities in a United shirt so far this season.
Charlie Savage
Son of former Leicester and Wales midfielder Robbie, 18-year-old Savage has a bright future on his hands after being handed his first-team bow by Ralf Rangnick in December 2021. Later that season, Savage was named in a Premier League squad for the first time against Crystal Palace, but failed to come on.
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He has since been a regular in the Under-23s side at the base of the midfield, having made 16 appearances in all competitions so far this term. Savage is fundamentally a completely different player to his dad and is much more technical in style and skillset. The teenager has an impressive range of passing at his disposal, and can pick a lot of passes, including line-breakers that inject tempo into possession play.
Manchester United midfielder Charlie Savage ( Image: Getty Images)Shola Shoretire
A pacey forward, Shoretire has been lined-up as one for the future after making his Premier League debut at the age of 17 against Newcastle United in February 2021. He has since played a further four times for the first-team but hasn’t featured for Ten Hag yet, having last featured under Ralf Rangnick last season.
Shoretire has netted five goals in 11 appearances for the club’s U23s side this season, but hasn’t found the net since October due to the World Cup break. However, Shoretime is a a gifted attacking midfield playmaker and has excellent vision to either find a pass or get a shot off. He also has pristine dribbling skills and has the ability to beat a man with ease, either on the half turn or when in full speed.
Alvaro Fernandez
The 19-year-old left-back joined the Red Devils from Real Madrid in 2020 on a four-year contract and has been tipped to achieve big things at Old Trafford. Fernandez was highly-rated at Los Blancos and United also think a lot of him, but have decided to send him out to gain some valuable senior minutes on loan at Preston North End.
Alvaro Fernandez in action for Preston ( Image: Getty Images)
Fernandez has been a mainstay in the Lilywhites XI since his move to Deepdale, however, featuring in 18 Championship matches so far this term. He can also play as a left midfielder and provides excellent versitility on that flank, something United like about him. Fernandez is tall and is very direct in his running, flying up the pitch in transition or on the overlap, and is very keen to break forward in build-up sequences as well.
Teden Mengi
The England youth international burst onto the scene when he was sent out on loan to Derby County for the second-half of the season, where he worked under Wayne Rooney. It was a move that worked out for Mengi, who impressed at Pride Park and made nine appearances as Derby survived on the final day of the season.
Having returned back to United, Mengi moved back out on loan to Birmingham City for six months in January in an attempt to gain more experience. However, Mengi suffered a hamstring injury which kept him out until the end of the season, having ended his time in the West Midlands on 10 league appearances.
Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/
