Manchester United have one of the best youth academies in England, although not all of their young prospects manage to forge a career at Old Trafford.
Indeed, many of them have found themselves without a club in 2024-25. That’s down to a variety of factors, whether it’s because of form, a bad injury or waiting for the right opportunity to come along.
We’ve taken a closer look at United’s former academy stars and have found nine of them who are currently without a club.
Brandon Williams
The 24-year-old has been without a club since being released by United at the end of last season.
Williams racked up 51 senior appearances for the Red Devils during his formative years, but injuries have constantly hampered his progression.
Rangers were supposedly interested in the full-back last summer, although a move never materialised in the end.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah
Fosu-Mensah was handed his senior debut under Louis van Gaal and he went on to make 30 appearances for the club before leaving in 2021.
He then signed for Bayer Leverkusen, but injuries haven’t been kind to him over the years.
The 27-year-old has suffered two ACL injuries during his career so far, along with various other knocks and fitness issues.
As a result of being injured, he missed the entire 2023-24 season and didn’t make a single appearance for Leverkusen during their title-winning campaign.
In January, he was linked with the likes of Middlesbrough and Swansea, but still finds himself without a club.
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson
The 28-year-old has been without a club since his contract was terminated by Polish side Slask Wroclaw last summer.
He’s therefore spent the entire 2024-25 campaign without a club and it remains to be seen if he’ll find a club for next season.
Paul Pogba
Following an 18-month suspension because of doping, the Frenchman is now eligible to play football once again.
He’s been without a club since being released by Juventus last year and seems to be biding his time before committing his future to his next club.
Clubs from MLS and Saudi Arabia have been linked with the 32-year-old in recent weeks, although a return to Europe cannot be ruled out either. Watch this space.
Tyler Blackett
The versatile defender made 12 senior appearances for United before leaving the club in 2016.
He’s since crafted a decent career for himself in the Championship, having enjoyed stints with Reading, Nottingham Forest and Rotherham.
However, following his release from Rotherham last summer, he’s been unable to find a new club and has been a free agent all season.
“It’s not been easy by any means, it’s something which I’ve not had to deal with in my career before. Some days better than others,” Blackett told Flashscore when discussing life as a free agent.
“It’s about waiting for the right fit now. There’s been some interest at different times, but it’s not really been right for me.”
Josh Harrop
Harrop famously scored against Crystal Palace during his only senior appearance for the Red Devils.
The creative midfielder showed flashes of quality during his stint in the Championship with Preston North End, but injuries have consistently halted his progress.
Following short spells with Northampton and Cheltenham Town, the 29-year-old has been without a club since last summer.
In order to stay active in the football scene, Harrop is currently taking part in the Baller League UK, which is a six-a-side indoor football competition where teams are comprised of professional, semi-professional and futsal stars.
Josh Harrop, Henri Lansbury and Michael Hector
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Zak Dearnley
Dearnley made the bench for United under Jose Mourinho but never got the chance to make a senior appearance.
After being let go, he enjoyed a stint with Oldham Athletic in League Two and has since been playing non-league football at various levels.
The 26-year-old most recently played for Ossett United but has been without a club since last summer.
Raheem Hanley
Hanley spent six years in the United academy as a youngster but never made it to the first team.
He also had stints with Blackburn Rovers and Swansea, but equally found opportunities hard to come by at those club.
It wasn’t until he moved to Northampton Town in 2016 that he finally made his senior breakthrough, but since leaving them in 2018, he’s predominantly played in non-league.
He most recently played for West Didsbury but has been without a club since leaving them last summer.
Tom Thorpe
The centre-half made one senior appearance for United in the Premier League back in 2014–15.
Since leaving the club, he’s played at various levels, although he’s only played sparingly in recent years after taking a break from football due to his mental health.
Thorpe last played for Stalybridge and it remains to be seen if he’ll throw himself back into the sport.
“I’ll play football as long as I enjoy it,” Thorpe told BBC Sport in 2023.
“If that stops, then it’s not something that I want to continue doing. I’m not putting any pressure on myself as to where I aspire to go to.
“When I previously played, I cared too much about what the wrong people thought. I’ve come to realise your mental health is much more important than anything else.”
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