Anthony Elanga, Hannibal Mejbri, Marcus Rashford and the wonderkid who ranks Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Lionel Messi – Manchester United talents who could benefit from Erik ten Hag’s arrival
Manchester United fans are hoping the appointment of Erik Ten Hag as new manager will see huge changes at Old Trafford.
There will obviously be some uncertainty around the transfers with lots of potential ins and outs.
But what they can also hope for is that the Ajax boss gets the most out of the Red Devils’ rising young stars.
The Dutchman has a reputation for nurturing the club’s starlets and has proven he has the ability to turn them into players who look way beyond their years on the pitch.
Ajax winger Antony, Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech, Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong and Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt have all been assisted by Ten Hag.
The Dutchman helped them develop and continue their path to stardom.
His ability to do so will have been noted by the Man United hierarchy, who pride themselves on bringing in academy talent.
And right now, five of Man United’s current players could benefit from the arrival of the Eredivisie-winning manager.
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Donny Van de Beek
A prime example of a player Ten Hag has developed is United’s Van de Beek.
Currently on loan at struggling Everton, the young midfielder played under his new boss at Ajax.
Ten Hag really got the most out of the Netherlands international when he managed it between 2017 and 2020.
Van de Beek recorded 17 goals and 13 assists in all competitions in Ten Hag’s first full season in charge of Ajax, and was a key player in the Dutch club’s push to the semi-finals of the 2019 Champions League.
It’s fair to say that the 25-year-old will likely be very happy to see his compatriot and hope he can start his career as a United player.
Anthony Elanga
The Swedish starlet has already been United’s golden boy this season and one of the silver linings in another disappointing campaign for red side Manchester.
The teenager has made the Premier League starting XI nine times this campaign and made star performances against Brentford, Leeds United and as a substitute for Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
The 19-year-old has been used primarily as an impact sub by Ralf Rangnick, but the youngster will likely be looking to cement a starting spot in Ten Hag’s squad.
Given that the Dutch manager is comfortable trusting young talent, his tenure could present Elanga with the perfect opportunity to prove his worth.
Hannibal Mejbri
Hannibal, a 19-year-old fellow, could also benefit from Ten Hag’s arrival.
Given his first-team debut at the end of last season, the attacking midfielder caught the eye of United fans after winning the Under-23 Player of the Year award.
However, the French-born academy player has made just one more Premier League appearance since his first first-team arc, coming on for six minutes in his side’s 4-0 loss to Liverpool.
The likely departure of Paul Pogba, however, could leave Ten Hag the chance to do what he does best and be pushed up the ranks by a young star as a replacement.
Gary Nevile, among others, was delighted with his cameo against Liverpool in midweek.
He said: “It takes a young kid to show them how to sprint and take on a challenge. I’m really proud of him.”
Alejandro Garnacho
The Argentine is exciting for Manchester United’s academy and ready to make the move to the first team.
He’s been on the bench for games with Norwich and Liverpool and you wouldn’t be too surprised to see him make his Premier League debut in the coming weeks.
A fast-footed left winger, Garnacho also sparks a lot of controversy.
He was called up for Argentina, despite being 17, and trained alongside Lionel Messi, but recently revealed he puts Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the Paris Saint-Germain superstar.
Ronaldo handed him his hat-trick ball from the win over Norwich and the wonderkid took to Instagram to thank him, captioning the post: ‘Greatest of all time…Dream big, guys’.
But Man City legend Sergio Aguero mocked the youngster, commenting: ‘Porque todavía no jugaste con el mejor pa @leomessi’. Which translates to: “Because you haven’t played with the best @leomessi yet.”
Marcus Rashford
When Rashford scored twice on his United debut at the ripe old age of 18, the world seemed like his oyster.
However, fast forward to today and the 24-year-old’s career is somewhat at a standstill.
Under caretaker boss Rangnick, Rashford has scored just five times this season – down from 12 goals in his debut campaign and 22 last term.
Given Ten Hag’s reputation, the Dutchman could be the perfect person to put his arm around the United star and revive his form.
London calling
What a Saturday we lined up.
The first fixture in the capital is Arsenal v Manchester United live on talkSPORT, with the visitors perhaps buoyed by news of Erik ten Hag’s appointment as permanent manager.
Then, direction Wembley for Tyson Fury against Dillian Whyte from 7 p.m. where the two heavyweights fight for the WBC title.
12:30 p.m.: Arsenal v Man United – talkSPORT
7 p.m.: Live from Wembley ahead of Tyson Fury v Dillian Whyte
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