In recent months, Jack and Tyler Fletcher have had fleeting debuts, while Shea Lacey, 18, has seen senior football for the first time. But thus far, no academy product has truly had a breakout year in 2025–2026. That may all change in the upcoming season, though, as 15-year-old sensation JJ Gabriel seems to be getting ready for a first-team debut following his recent stellar juvenile performance.
Gabriel is the buzz of the U18 Premier League this season, having scored 18 goals in just 19 games. In the FA Youth Cup, he also caused a stir. Jim Thwaites, a young midfielder, and Wayne’s son Kai Rooney, a 16-year-old striker, have high hopes because the first team will likely need to bolster the middle of the park before the next season.
Sekou Kone, currently on loan at INEOS-owned Lausanne, may finally make his senior debut at Old Trafford now that Casemiro and company have left. Another player to watch is 18-year-old Irishman Jacob Devaney, who had a great start to his loan at St Mirren.
Man Utd set to complete deal to sign wonderkid Christian Orozco
Even though Orozco has only made two senior appearances for his current team thus far, United reportedly paid a sum of about £750k to get him from Fortaleza, according to Fabrizio Romano at the time. Similar to Pogba, who led France’s U16 team before relocating to Old Trafford, United could have paid close attention to the midfield player’s performance on the international scene, particularly during the U17 World Cup last summer.
Orozco is a beast when he is not in possession, as seen by his four appearances in the competition, when he averaged 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game along with recovering 6.5 balls per game. Analyst Ben Mattinson praised him for being “so composed under pressure” and noted that, like Pogba, he is already a leader despite his youth, having captained his country in the tournament last summer.
With Paraguayan teenager Leon still awaiting his debut, United’s most recent foray into South America hasn’t yet paid off, but it’s heartening to see the team looking to the long term once more with such low-cost signings.
