A busy week at Carrington: winger Noah Ajayi has signed his first professional contract, and three academy players have arrived from Manchester City and Liverpool.
Manchester United's academy has had a busy week, with a first professional contract for one of the Under-18s' best performers and new arrivals from two Premier League rivals.
Noah Ajayi: first professional deal
Winger Noah Ajayi, 17, has signed what the club describe as a long-term professional contract. He scored twice in last season's FA Youth Cup and finished the campaign with nine goals in all competitions for Darren Fletcher's Under-18s, who reached the final. He has also played for the Under-21s. Born in Hamburg, he has been capped by Germany at youth level.
Three arrivals
Karim Cassim, 17, a central midfielder from Manchester City, was announced on Thursday 24 September. He is an England Under-17 international and was part of the City side that won the FA Youth Cup last season. He was spotted on the United bench during MUTV's coverage of the Under-18s' win over Charlton in August, which gave the move away.
David Eze, also from City, has received Premier League approval and is expected to be announced.
Isaac Konde, from Liverpool, is set to be announced once the league ratifies the deal.
The details come from the club's own announcements and reporting by the Manchester Evening News.
Why it matters
The academy is a big part of United's plan to stay competitive while controlling costs (see our report on the club's latest accounts). We will follow how these players get on in the Under-18 and Under-21 sides this season.
Based on reporting by Manchester Evening News: Man Utd. This article was written by Manchester World.