Manchester United have high hopes for Gabriele Biancheri and the young forward now finds himself at the centre of a tug-of-war.
Manchester United have a long and storied history in terms of bringing through young players from the academy.
The ‘Class of 92’ are the most famous example, but the likes of Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo have also emerged in more recent memory.
The hope is that Ruben Amorim will now bring through the next generation of United talents at Old Trafford.
Amorim used Sporting’s academy graduates to great effect in Lisbon and he will hopefully do the same with United.
Jaydan Kamason has sparked excitement around United, Jack Moorhouse is earning rave reviews and Amorim has taken a liking to Godwill Kukonki.
Photo by Harry Murphy/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Harry Murphy/Manchester United via Getty Images
Craig Bellamy stance on Manchester United’s Gabriele Biancheri
Gabriele Biancheri is another exciting talent in the United ranks, having arrived from Cardiff City in 2023.
The 18-year-old has been prolific in United’s youth setup, scoring 10 times in just 12 Under-18 Premier League games this past season.
More United News
United rejected Como’s bid for Biancheri in January, seemingly seeing a huge future for the teenager.
Biancheri’s club future may have been settled months ago, but the battle for his services on the international stage continues.
Biancheri was born in Wales but is of Italian and Canadian descent, meaning he qualifies to play for all three nations.
Despite earning caps for Wales from Under-16 to Under-19 levels, Biancheri has been called up by Canada.
Wales boss Craig Bellamy called Biancheri into a training camp in May but now risks losing the striker with Canada calling him up for training ahead of the 2025 Canadian Shield.
Bellamy has now told BBC Sport that he is happy for Biancheri to explore his options.
Wales could have called Biancheri up for games against Liechtenstein and Belgium but chose not to select him.
Bellamy believes Biancheri simply isn’t ready for senior action with Wales and is happy for the United talent to make his own decision.
“I like people having options, it’s healthy,” said Bellamy.
“He’s not ready for our squad yet. It’s something he’d like to go and have a look at, but I like to think we have done our work as well. At the end the decision will be his. He knows where we are and where he is. He’s not ready for first-team football with us at this moment.
“It’s his decision. I’ve known him since he was very young and I know his family really well. Whatever he does will be the right thing for him, it’s not a problem,” he added.
Jesse Marsch sums up excitement around Gabriele Biancheri
Bellamy seems to be happy for Biancheri to go and explore his options, though Wales fans may not share that view.
Biancheri looks to be a top talent and Canada would undoubtedly love to secure his services.
Canada boss Jesse Marsch has praised Biancheri, hailing him as a dynamic player who poses a real threat in the final third.
“He’s a dynamic player, he’s very good around the goal,” said Marsch, as quoted by United’s official website.
“He’s a striker that can play up on the backline but also is good at coming underneath and connecting plays and being part of the build-up phase,” he added.
That praise just sums up why Biancheri is so highly rated at United, and why he has three countries vying for his services.
Canada may have taken the lead for Biancheri’s services as things stand, but Bellamy and Wales will be watching his situation with intent.