Manchester United have signed Socrates from ELAplaceholder image
Manchester United have signed Socrates from ELA | IG: @elitelondonacademyfcofficial
Man Utd have completed the signing of a teenage defender ahead of the January transfer window.
Manchester United have completed the signing of teenage defender Socrates after a successful trial with the club.
The 13-year-old centre-back will move to Manchester from London, where he will also focus on his education after he was offered a place at a top local academy. Socrates is a product of the Elite London Academy and did enough to impress United coaches after previous trials with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace.
He began his youth career as a promising winger but has since found more success playing as a centre-back. Upon signing for United, he posed alongside a No.10 shirt, a shirt more typically associated with a forward player than a defender.
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United sign Socrates
Manchester United sources confirmed a deal had been agreed to sign Socrates from Elite London Academy and they later took to social media to react to the transfer.
Posting on their Instagram account, the youth academy wrote: "From ELA ➝ Signing for one of the biggest club in the world. Today we congratulate Socrates on officially signing for Manchester United. @manutd. Socrates has been with us for five years — five years of development, hard work and belief. From the moment he joined Elite London Academy, you could see he had something special: technically gifted, intelligent on the ball, brave in duels, and always hungry to learn.
"Along his journey, we organised trials for him at Arsenal, Tottenham and Crystal Palace. He completed full trials at these clubs but these did not result in registration. Arguably, missed opportunities for the clubs. But what makes Socrates different is how he responded. He didn’t sulk. He didn’t lose confidence. He showed resilience, maturity and a mindset far beyond his age. Instead, he pushed harder. Soon exciting opportunities have followed. Socrates was offered registration at a top Cat 1 club in the North in August after a successful trial. However, he declined the offer as the school opportunity did not feel it would stretch him fully.
"At ELA, we worked closely with him, developing every area of his game and eventually converting him from a winger into a left-sided centre-back — a position he has absolutely thrived in. His reading of the game, distribution, physical presence and calmness under pressure have grown to elite standards. Off the pitch, he’s exactly the type of boy every academy wants: Humble, well-mannered, intelligent, respectful and driven. And behind him is a family who supports him in all the right ways — patient, positive, and trusting the process.
"Today, all that work has led to the biggest stage possible: Manchester United. Given his academic focus, he has also secured a place at a highly academic and selective school in Manchester. This is a huge moment for him, his family and for us at ELA. Socrates is the perfect example of what happens when talent meets attitude, and when a club truly invests in a player’s development. We are incredibly proud of him — and this is only the beginning. Congratulations, Socrates. The journey continues at the very top."
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