The absence of European competitions means Ruben Amorim doesn’t need a big squad this season, and a prolific wonderkid in the academy is set to exit for the same reason.
The youth system at Man Utd is in great shape, with the new scholars matching the exploits of the previous batch that won a treble in 2023/24 and almost won the league again last season.
To make space for them to play in the academy sides, United need to ensure the players older than them start receiving first-team football.
Jonny Evans is handling loans this season, and after already sanctioning multiple in the football league, another wonderkid has been made available.
Gabriele Biancheri of Manchester United celebrates scoring his team's fifth goal and his hat-trick with team mate Godwill Kukonki during The FA Youth Cup Third round match between Manchester United and Coventry City at Leigh Sports Village on December 18, 2024
Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images
Man Utd make Gabriele Biancheri available for loan
In the excitement of the attacking crop of Man Utd’s academy, which has precocious talents like JJ Gabriel, Kai Rooney, and Louie Bradbury, it has been forgotten that their “seniors” had pretty remarkable talents too.
Gabriele Biancheri was scoring for fun at the academy level and doing it without having the physical advantage many strikers enjoy at that level.
Many would argue that Biancheri should have been given a Man Utd debut already, so good were his performances for the last two years.
However, Chido Obi jumped him in the pecking order, and with Benjamin Sesko signed, the door is firmly shut on a breakthrough this season.
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As a result, Biancheri, much like Ethan Wheatley, who joined Northampton Town, has been made available for loan, as per transfer insider Pete O’Rourke.
Biancheri is generating interest from a host of League One and League Two clubs, so the club and the player will need to choose carefully.
He’ll turn 19 in September, so this loan, despite being his first, could make or break his chances of breaking through at Old Trafford.
Biancheri can flourish in senior football
A big reason why there’s frustration with Biancheri’s lack of chances is that his game looks tailor-made to flourish in senior football.
Often, strikers who dominate at the academy level due to their physical advantage struggle to translate it to senior football when that advantage goes away.
It never allows them to challenge themselves and develop their technical or mental skills, which is the exact opposite of what Biancheri has done.
Standing at just 5’9″, he’s not the typical Ruben Amorim striker, but that has forced him to become a lethal penalty box poacher.
He uses his low centre of gravity and intelligence of movement in the box to tuck away even half-chances, so he’ll flourish in a team that dominates territory and possession.
He’s an old-school “fox in the box”, which is why it’s so important for Jonny Evans and co. to select a team for him that maximises his strengths, instead of exposing and exaggerating his weaknesses.
If they do, then United might have their hands on a player they can easily flip for millions.