Manchester United are set to see two of their young stars leave for Arsenal this summer
Habeeb Ogunneye looks set to leave Manchester United
Habeeb Ogunneye looks set to leave Manchester United(Image: Zohaib Alam - MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Manchester United are reportedly set to receive significant sell-on clauses for academy players Habeeb Ogunneye and James Scanlon. It is claimed that both youngsters are heading to Arsenal.
Academies are mainly about getting players into the first team, but the Premier League's Elite Player Performance Plan also made it about producing talent to set up for a strong career and to sell on.
Premier League rivals Chelsea have been most successful at this, having generated over £400million in transfer fees from players they have produced in their academy. Any homegrown sale has provided a financial boost for clubs as their status represents pure profit - a key metric for the old PSR (profit and sustainability) rules.
The Athletic reports that 20-year-old United right-back Ogunneye has undergone a medical with Arsenal ahead of a proposed move from United.
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The Gunners are also reportedly close to finalising a move for 19-year-old United winger Scanlon. It is said that both deals are expected to be free transfers, with the Old Trafford club receiving significant sell-on clauses.
Both young stars are known to Arsenal’s new under-21s head coach, David Horseman. He previously spent four months at United as an academy coach.
United are maximising their academy sales this summer as another of their talented youngsters left the club last week. League One side Stockport County won the race to sign winger Ethan Ennis.
Ennis joined a list of academy players to leave this window. Ethan Williams joined Peterborough United, Radek Vitek has signed for Middlesbrough, and Tyler Fredricson joined Ineos-owned Lausanne Sport.
Each of these deals followed a similar model to Ennis' exit. A 50 per cent sell-on clause, a buyback option and a matching rights clause were added to Williams' departure.
Vitek was sold for a substantial fee, which could rise to £14m, and included a 35 per cent sell-on plus the buyback and matching rights clauses. Meanwhile, the Fredricson deal included a “high percentage” sell-on clause and buyback option.
These decisions are working towards Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ultimate goal of making the academy more lucrative. "You need the academy to be producing talent all the time. It helps you financially," he said on The Business Podcast last October.
Further departures from the academy are expected this summer. Toby Collyer, Dan Gore and Chido Obi are among the United youngsters who could all still leave before the deadline, either on loan or permanently.