Youngster Ethan Williams is drawing attention from clubs across Europe amid growing interest in his potential
After a disastrous end to last season, Manchester United are focused on addressing their issues through a major squad rebuild. With no European football and only the Premier League and domestic competitions to contend with, the club has a prime opportunity to reset and redeem itself.
Ruben Amorim, heading into his first season in charge, will aim to build momentum and establish control early on.
Before the new campaign begins, however, United may be forced to make a difficult call on another rising talent. The club has consistently offloaded young players in recent years, and now face interest from several clubs circling a highly-rated prospect who’s seen as one to watch.
Manchester United are actively looking to offload Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Antony this summer, while Alejandro Garnacho has also been told he can leave.
However, firm offers for any of the four have been scarce, with the club continuing to struggle when it comes to shifting first-team players. High wages and a lack of recent success on the pitch have made potential sales even more difficult.
To raise funds, United have often turned to selling academy talents—and another promising youngster could be on the move this summer. While many believe he’s ready to break into the first team, Ruben Amorim’s track record of giving young players chances suggests the door might still be open for him to stay and make an impact.
Rising talent Ethan Williams has caught the attention of several European clubs
Journalist Ben Jacobs reports that Anderlecht and Club Brugge are both interested in signing young Manchester United player Ethan Williams. Jacobs mentions that Williams’ future is “open,” meaning that United would consider allowing the young player to move on.
The 19-year-old Williams spent the second-half of last season on loan at Cheltenham Town, where he made an impression in League Two. Williams scored two goals and added two assists in 17 appearances, whetting the appetite for the player after his loan period. Cheltenham manager Michael Flynn went so far as to say that Williams could have gone straight into the Manchester United side based on the level that he was operating at during his loan.
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In recent years, Manchester United have moved on a number of academy graduates, often including buy-back or sell-on clauses in the deals.
In 2023 alone, the club parted ways with talents like Zidane Iqbal, Charlie Savage, Nathan Bishop, Teden Mengi, and Marc Jurado. Matej Kovar sealed a move to Bayer Leverkusen, while Ethan Laird joined Birmingham City, as United opted to cash in on players who were still some distance from breaking into the first team.
Although Ruben Amorim has shown a willingness to give youngsters a chance—most notably Obi Martin and James Nolan last season—it would be unwise to assume the same opportunities will be handed to everyone. For Ethan Williams, another loan move may be the most sensible next step in his development.