Jose Mourinho tried to set the record straight in his first press conference as Manchester United manager.
He claimed the popular perception of him only signing established players, at the expense of youth-team graduates, was a lie, and produced a list of 49 young players he gave debuts to in an attempt to disprove the widely held theory.
But if Mourinho is really a player who gives youth a chance, we’ll see the evidence of it over the next few seasons.
Here’s five players that could make the breakthrough this season at United, if Mourinho is a manager who gives young players a chance, of course.
Donald Love
Mourinho said at his first press conference as United manager that he has identified four signings. Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have already joined – and there’s no prizes for guessing that Paul Pogba is the fourth.
One area Mourinho doesn’t appear to be looking to strengthen is right-back, despite it not being a settled position last season. Matteo Darmian began the campaign in the position, but through injuries and rotation measures by Louis van Gaal, Antonio Valencia and Phil Jones both featured at right-back at different times.
While Ashley Young played there eight times. Needless to say, Mourinho won’t be playing Young or Phil Jones at right back. The former Chelsea manager says he wants specialists, and that might open the door for Donald Love.
The 21-year-old made his debut last February against Sunderland, and played the full-game away to FC Midtjylland, before going on-loan to Wigan Athletic. Love has been with United since he was 7-years-old, and has played for Scotland at U-21 level.
He’s one of two specialist right-backs in United’s first-team squad, alongside Darmian, and that could prove advantageous if he remains at Old Trafford.
Axel Tuanzebe
Tuanzebe has been with United for the past 10 years, and is in line to make his first-team debut next Saturday in a pre-season friendly against Wigan.
The 18-year-old is an athletic, pacy central defender, and captained the club’s U-18 side as a first-team scholar, the first player to achieve that feat since Gary Neville.
Tuanzebe, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and grew up in Rochdale, was on the bench for United’s game against Crystal Palace last season.
Nicky Butt, the head of United’s academy, recommended him to Mourinho, after the player impressed in the U-21’s last year.
Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Marcus Rojo, Daley Blind and Phil Jones can all play in central defence, but Mourinho is unlikely to use Blind in defence, Rojo has never impressed and Jones is unlikely to ever become the greatest player in the history of Manchester United, as he was tipped to become by Alex Ferguson.
Tuanzebe could find himself getting some game time this season, if he impresses Mourinho in pre-season.
Tyrell Warren
Warren can play at right-back or central defence, and was promoted to the U-21’s last year, where he started a number of games. A place in the first-team squad might be beyond him this season, but the 17-year-old has been called up to the first-team for next week’s friendly against Wigan and will get the chance to impress Mourinho.
Via Manchester United’s websiteCallum Gribbin
Gribbin is a skilful, elegant midfielder, a dead ball specialist and someone with the potential to dictate play and make a difference in the final third – exactly the type of player United fans will be excited to see break into the first-team.
However, whether the 17-year-old midfielder is exactly the type of player Mourinho will trust is another thing. United appear to be spoiled for options in central midfield and in an advanced attacking midfield role, but Gribbin could get his chance in the cup games, and his development is worth monitoring for United fans.
Sam Johnstone
Every Premier League club now appears to use a cup goalkeeper, and is Mourinho really going to trust Sergio Romero? If he wants to dispel the popular opinion that he doesn’t give youth-team graduates a chance, the new United manager could use Sam Johnstone in goal.
The 23-year-old was on the bench for United’s opening game of last season against Spurs – when it looked as though David de Gea would join Real Madrid – but has yet to play for the first-team, and spend the second half of the season on-loan at Preston North End.
Johnstone has had eight loan spells away from Old Trafford over the past five years, but could be a useful option for cup games ahead of the unconvincing Romeo.
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