Man Utd face wonderkid battle
Robin Bairner
- 6 Nov 2023 01:50 CST
- 3 min read
Manchester United are fighting to retain academy graduate Omari Forson but are “anxious” that they could lose the 19-year-old for nothing at the end of the season.
Forson has yet to make his debut for Man Utd’s first team but did appear on the bench against Bayern Munich in the Champions League earlier this season. Meanwhile, he has been a regular scorer at youth level, netting six times across matches in the Premier League 2, UEFA Youth League and EFL Trophy.
A versatile forward player, he has featured off the left this season and even played a central midfield role against Galatasaray in the Youth League – a match in which he shone as the decisive player, scoring two and creating the other in a 3-0 win.
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Out of contract in 2024, Man Utd face the prospect of losing him as a free agent at the end of the season but The Mirror reports that they are “desperate” to keep hold of the young talent, who is one of their leading academy prospects.
It is reported that there has already been interest from abroad in the England youth international, while there is also the prospect that he could depart for another Premier League side, although those foreign clubs have an advantage in that they are able to speak to him as early as January if no deal with Man Utd is agreed.
The Red Devils would see it as a stain on their reputation if they were to see such a hot prospect from their academy depart for nothing, with the youngster having been on their books since January 2019 after spells with West Ham and Tottenham.
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Man Utd target new Hannibal contract
Hannibal Mejbri is another player that Man Utd are looking to tie down on an extended deal.
The Tunisia international has featured eight times for the first team, but while he is further along in his development, there is less urgency over his situation at present.
The 20-year-old has a contract that expires in 2025, giving Man Utd more time to hold talks with the midfielder, who has two Premier League appearances and a goal against Brighton to his credit this season.
