Manchester United Under-21s arrived at Leigh Sports Village on Tuesday night, but notable academy players Sia Lacey, Chido Obi, Sekou Kone and Diego Leon were not in the squad. The focus now shifts to the fate of these players in the January transfer window. Obi has yet to feature for the first team this season, Lacey came on as a substitute in the Premier League games against Everton and Crystal Palace, and Diego Leao and Sekou Kone have bounced back and forth between the Under-21s and the first team.
Early signs suggest Lacey and Obi will remain at the club, but loan offers will be considered for Leon and Kone, who could benefit from playing senior football in the second half of the season. Other loan candidates who started against Anderlecht in the Premier League International Cup on Tuesday night include Jacob Devaney, Gabriele Biancelli, Jace Fitzgerald and James Scanlon. This could bring the total number of people at risk of loan withdrawal to six.
United’s selection process ahead of the winter period will include assessing players who may have stagnated in academy football and determining whether a change of environment would be beneficial.
Devaney, who captained the Under-21s from the base of midfield on Tuesday, has consistently produced strong performances this season, shining for Ireland’s Under-21s against England during the November international break and drawing plaudits against the likes of Jobe Bellingham, Ethan Nwaneri and Lewis Hall.
This performance showed he could also cope with the challenges of a loan move further down the pyramid of English football. Biancheri has not benefited much from Under-21 football, so he will benefit from a long absence.
He faced the thankless task of spearheading the attack against Anderlecht, and was understandably frustrated as he moved around with minimal frontline support in the early stages.
The Welsh youngster has trained with the Welsh and Canadian senior national teams (he is eligible for both) and that experience will come in handy if he leaves on loan.
Scanlon was born in the Midlands but has played international football for Gibraltar, scoring a stunning goal against the Faroe Islands in last summer’s World Cup qualifiers. Along with Fitzgerald, he is also one of the players who deserves to be considered for a loan move, but Fitzgerald stagnated a bit last season after being included in the senior matchday squad for games against Chelsea and PAOK.
Scanlon and Biancheri provided a minimal threat in the first half against Anderlecht, but United struggled overall, conceding too many chances against an attacking Belgian side. U21 coach Travis Binion urged his team to “hold on to the ball” after a period of Anderlecht’s dominance, giving young players a break and establishing control of the game.
Prior to the game, it was announced that Binion would be unavailable for interviews with local reporters who were traveling to Lee. This decision was made by the club, although it is not typical of Binion, who is usually very accessible.
A lackluster first half saw United struggle to maintain possession, but they managed to take the lead just before half-time with a powerful header from Devaney.
The Anderlecht manager, wearing a jersey reminiscent of the Winter Olympics, was stunned to see his team fall behind after missing four great chances. Their debauchery was justly punished.
Just minutes into the second half, Anderlecht forward Enzo Sternal tied the score with a fumble. Anderlecht’s staff celebrated as if they had scored a goal in the World Cup final.
Terry van de Ven then put the visiting team ahead 2-1, sparking further jubilant celebrations. Binion could only shake his head on the touchline as Anderlecht added a third and then fourth goal.
It’s still unclear what Binion will take away from this fight. Discussions continue regarding the possibility of loan moves for certain players, and emphasis should be placed on arranging these during the January transfer window.
Finding suitable loan deals for academy players is not easy, especially during the winter months. However, there are at least six players who appear to have little to gain from continuing to play in the youth game.
It will be interesting to see which academy players leave the club by the end of January.
