Man Utd signed young striker Enzo Kana-Biyik on a free transfer from Le Havre in the summer transfer window.
Kana-Biyik signed on a free transfer in the summer window.(Image: Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images.)
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You probably don't know much about Manchester United striker Enzo Kana-Biyik.
He was a low-key arrival in the summer window, arriving from Le Havre on a free transfer before immediately joining FC Lausanne Sport on a season-long loan.
The youngster is following in the footsteps of Paul Pogba, who also joined United as a teenager from Le Havre. Kana-Biyik will be a huge success if he achieves a fraction of what Pogba has during his career.
Kana-Biyik celebrated his 18th birthday in January and had entered the final year of his contract. United were proactive and took advantage of the situation by signing him for nothing.
United released a statement which read: "Manchester United have completed the signing of exciting young forward Enzo Kana-Biyik. Last season, the France youth international scored nine goals in 18 games for Le Havre's Under-19s team and earned a place on the bench for the first team on two occasions.
"Following the signing of his contract, the emerging talent has secured a loan switch to Swiss Super League side, Lausanne-Sport. Everyone at United would like to welcome Enzo to the club."
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The decision to send Kana-Biyik to Ineos-owned Lausanne wasn't a surprise because playing academy football with the Under-21s this term wouldn't have helped his development
Kana-Biyik did not make a senior appearance for Le Havre, but spent plenty of time training with their first-team and United decided a loan was the best option for the next stage of his career.
Lausanne welcomed three players from United's academy to train with them last season, as revealed by the Manchester Evening News, and loaning a player was the logical next step.
U21 boss Travis Binnion and former academy director Nick Cox visited Lausanne's facilities, and the Swiss club are expected to sign more United players on loan in the coming years.
Kana-Biyik is the first United player to have been loaned to Lausanne as part of that Ineos relationship, but he encountered bad luck after his arrival when he suffered a "severe knee sprain" during training.
The youngster subsequently missed the start of the campaign but returned to action earlier than expected and has made 10 appearances for Lausanne so far this season.
Last weekend, Kana-Biyik scored his first senior goal to equalise against FC Sion. He salvaged a point for Lausanne in a local derby, when he was given ample space in the box and finished into the bottom right corner like any striker worth their salt would.
Kana-Biyik had plenty of space and time to finish.(Image: FC Lausanne Sport via X)
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"It's beautiful, it feels good. I feel a bit liberated," Kana-Biyik told Swiss outlet Blick when he spoke after the game. "It was the first thing that came to mind [showing the name on his shirt as he celebrated]. The most important thing was to celebrate with my teammates and the fans."
Despite scoring his first goal for Lausanne, Kana-Biyik was substituted at half-time. "I feel like I'm answering Enzo. He asked me the same question," laughed Lausanne coach Peter Zeidler.
Zeidler explained Kana-Biyik was "disappointed" and "didn't want to believe it," but said he accepted the decision and described the youngster as a "good person."
Zeidler continued: "Coming back, starting, and scoring in a derby at La Tuilière, that's revenge. I hope he'll score more goals."
United's social media channels have shared Kana-Biyik's goal for Laussanne and he responded by reposting on his Instagram. Having an affiliation with the biggest club in England will rocket his follower count.
The United website has noted Kana-Biyik has received a call-up to the France Under-19 squad for games against the Faroe Islands, Bulgaria and Hungary during the international break.
Kana-Biyik has a lot to learn, but United signed him because they believe he possesses first-team potential, and he will be hoping to get an audition to impress Ruben Amorim at the end of the season.
The 18-year-old will earmark pre-season as the opportunity to state his case to remain at United, although it's likely another loan could be on the cards for the 2026/2027 campaign.
It's also possible that Kana-Biyik never plays for United and is eventually flipped for profit. The Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) have impacted transfers and some Premier League clubs are buying young players with the intention of simply making a profit on their sale in a few years' time.
In the summer of 2023, Chelsea signed Angelo Gabriel from Santos for £13million. They immediately sent him on loan and sold him to a Saudi Arabian club for £19.4m the following summer.
Around a similar time, Newcastle signed Yankuba Minteh from OB for £5.9m. Minteh joined Feyenoord on loan and was flipped to Brighton for £30m in the following summer.
Angelo and Minteh didn't make an appearance for Chelsea or Newcastle. Such transfers have become common to work within PSR rules, despite being against the essence of football.
Kana-Biyik will be hoping to represent United at Old Trafford in the future, though.