Manchester United are willing to gift a first-team chance to midfield starlet Hannibal Mejbri next season, according to reports.
The curly-haired wonderkid arrived at Old Trafford from Monaco for £9million last year and has already made his mark at the club, showing maturity in his displays for the youth teams and convincing staff that he will soon be ready for the next step.
And even at the tender age of 17, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is considering a move to bring him into the first-team fold after being impressed by his early progress, MEN claims. In 13 games for United's junior teams, he was fouled 26 times.
Officials at the club were even ready to introduce him this season as they sought a new creative outlet in midfield, before striking a deal with Sporting Lisbon to sign Bruno Fernandes for £68m.
Mejbri has played once for the U23 side this season having featured mostly for the U18 side and playing in all four of the club's FA Youth Cup ties - although his development has been halted by the coronavirus after all youth competitions were called off.
But there could be hope for him next season, as the club are set to send the likes of James Garner Ethan Laird on loan, who have both been given chances to train and play with the first team.
Solksjaer could call up Mejbri to the first team to fill the void and continue his policy of bleeding through young talent, the report adds, with the Frenchman set to be joined by fellow prospects Charlie McCann and Mark Helm.
The Norwegian boss has shown he is not afraid to give youth a chance with the introduction of Mason Greenwood to the first team last season, with plenty more talent allowed to exhibit their quality.
At a Europa League away tie at Astana in November, he opted to take nearly an entire team of academy players with United already qualified for the next round. While 'Solskjaer's Saplings' lost 2-1, it proved to be a valuable experience for the likes of Garner, Laird, Dylan Levitt, Tahith Chong and Angel Gomes.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com