According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United's academy teams across all age groups will officially kick off their new season this weekend. 15-year-old JJ-Gabriel scored again in a closed-door warm-up match, while Noah-Akajayi is close to signing a professional contract with Manchester United, and the new season destinations for several other academy players, including Kamarson, remain uncertain.

This week, the Carrington training base is in the final stages of preparations for various plans for the new season. Manchester United U18 will face Manchester City this weekend. Given the long-standing dominance of both clubs at this age group in recent years, this match is considered a potential early title decider. Meanwhile, Manchester United U21 will host Ipswich on Monday evening. This edition of the Manchester Evening News Manchester United Academy Notes will focus on the outstanding performances of Akajayi and Kamarson, and provide an overview of Manchester United's participation in the Dutch tournament last weekend.

Akajayi close to signing a professional contract

Last season, Akajayi performed exceptionally well for Manchester United U18. During the FA Youth Cup, external attention was almost entirely on JJ-Gabriel, but Akajayi also scored 2 goals in the competition and finished the season with 9 goals across all competitions. One of the most representative goals came in the U18 Premier League Cup final at Selhurst Park, where Akajayi scored the only goal of the game against Crystal Palace. Due to his style of driving the ball forward on the left flank, some even compared him to a young Rashford.

However, Akajayi was not on the list when Manchester United recently announced that nine players had signed professional contracts. This situation raised concerns among some fans, especially given his rumored links with Bayern Munich this summer. Akajayi was born in Hamburg, with a Nigerian father and a German mother. But for now, he still prefers to develop in Manchester. It is understood that he is very close to signing a professional contract with Manchester United. Although some details of the final contract still need to be finalized, the overall progress is considered to be in a positive direction.

Kamarson's future remains to be determined

The new season destinations for several players in the Manchester United academy system are still unclear, and Kamarson is one of them. He has not yet determined which team he will play for in the 2026/27 season. Kamarson performed well in last month's first-team friendly against Rosenborg, providing two assists in the second half. For him, a loan move to a Championship team is widely considered an ideal path for continued growth.

However, the problem is that the new season has already started, and his loan arrangement has not yet been finalized. Kamarson is not the only player in this situation; several other Manchester United academy players need to complete loan moves before the transfer deadline. Manchester United's loan strategy has long been under external scrutiny, with some arguing that the club's execution in this area still has room for improvement. Ideally, academy players' loans should be completed earlier in the summer so that they can adapt to their new environment as quickly as possible. The Premier League has not yet started, but the English Football League (EFL) began its new season last weekend, so Manchester United's current loan arrangements seem slightly delayed.

Gabriel scores again

This week, Manchester United U21 played a closed-door warm-up match against Championship side Sheffield Wednesday at Carrington, and JJ-Gabriel scored again, and it was a spectacular goal. The goal was initiated by Gabriel himself, who first played a one-two with a teammate on the left, then used his individual skill to evade defenders, and after creating space in the box, he finished. For a player with his ability, such a close-range opportunity is usually not missed.

There are not expected to be many obstacles for the 15-year-old to move up to the U21 squad this season. It is also widely expected that he will have the opportunity to make his first-team debut in the future. However, as the season progresses, discussions surrounding his future development are expected to intensify. Next summer is considered a potential window for Gabriel to join Barcelona. Manchester United has done its best to show him a clear path to promotion, and this may play an important role in his final decision. It is understood that last year Gabriel was close to leaving Manchester United, but after realizing he might leave the club he loves, he ultimately chose to stay.

Manchester United participates in the Otten Innovation Cup

The Otten Innovation Cup was held last weekend. The event is an annual U19 competition hosted by Eindhoven, with matches played at the club's training ground. The tournament has historically produced many well-known players, including Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, Marc Cucurella, and Anthony Gordon, all of whom participated in the event early in their careers.

In this competition, Darren Fletcher led a young Manchester United U19 squad, including players like Kai Rooney. In their first match, Manchester United lost 0-1 to PSV Eindhoven, with Van Nistelrooy's son on the bench for the opponents. In their second match, Manchester United drew 1-1 with Brazilian team Palmeiras. The team then drew 2-2 with Adelaide United, ultimately finishing fifth in the tournament. Fletcher had hoped the team could go further in the competition, but participating in this event was still considered an important pre-season warm-up before the official start of the new season.

Arsenal interested in two Manchester United academy players

News emerged on Wednesday that Arsenal are interested in signing Ogunneye and James Scanlon. This news initially surprised those following the Manchester United academy, but upon further analysis, the underlying reasons became clear. Arsenal's U21 squad currently lacks numbers, so both Ogunneye and Scanlon could add squad depth. Additionally, David Horseman, who briefly served in Manchester United U21, was recently appointed as Arsenal U21 head coach.

Horseman is familiar with both players and believes they can improve the team's strength. However, for the players themselves, whether joining Arsenal is the best career path still needs to be weighed. 20-year-old Ogunneye was on loan at Newport County last season, and 19-year-old Scanlon previously played for Swindon. For them, continuing to gain experience in the lower leagues of England might still be one of the important paths to starting their professional careers, but the opportunity offered by Arsenal is also attractive.

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