Manchester United have taken the teenage defender on trialplaceholder image
Manchester United have taken the teenage defender on trial | IG: @ike.manjor
Man Utd are casting their eye over the highly-rated Irish defender this month.
The 16-year-old is spending some time at the club's Carrington training complex and featured for the U18s as they secured a dramatic 2-1 win over Burnley on Tuesday afternoon. Manjor is a versatile defender capable of playing as either a centre-back or a right-back and is on the radar of several Premier League clubs.
Manjor has already represented Republic of Ireland at U15 and U17 level and has also signed his first professional contract with Cork City. The Irish club anticipate that Manjor will move to England in the coming years, and they would receive either a transfer fee or a compensation fee should he move at such a young age. The youngster will turn 17 next month and is already a regular for Cork at academy level.
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Manchester United continue academy recruitment drive
Manchester United are always on the lookout for the best young talent in world football, and it will be interesting to see whether they pursue a deal for Ike Manjor. United have made a conscious effort to improve their recruitment at academy level, in the hope they save millions by signing high-potential players as early as possible.
United have already agreed a deal to bring teenage hopeful Cristian Orozco to the club this year, with the Colombian midfielder set to join the club when he turns 18. United reached an agreement to sign him from Fortaleza FC for an initial $1 million (£740,000) back in September, but he will only officially move to Manchester when he turns 18 in July 2026.
It is my understanding that Ireland underage international Ike Manjor is currently on trial at Manchester United! đŸ‡®đŸ‡ª
Manjor was spotted in a training video posted by a former Ireland international, whose son is part of United’s Under-18 setup. I can confirm that it is indeed… pic.twitter.com/DxMv9ddW3N
— Rep of Ireland Player Tracker (@reptracker) January 27, 2026
He is expected to follow loosely in the path of fellow South American signing Diego Leon and will likely feature for the club at U21s level before a loan move is considered in 2027.
United's pursuit of Orozco comes at a time when they are aiming to become more proactive with their international scouting and explore untapped markets that represent better value for money. There is a hope that by acting quickly, United can secure potential future stars for much smaller fees than if they had to buy them from another European club further down the line.
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