Manchester United have confirmed their list of new academy scholars ahead of the 2026/27 season. A group of 15 players were officially confirmed to have signed scholar terms this week after having their signing day last week, during which the players were presented with their club blazers and a United shirt bearing their name.
As the group step into the U18s set-up, academy fans will be eagerly looking to see who the next academy stars are. We take a closer look at what can be expected from United’s latest class of scholars.
Jake Ford (Goalkeeper)
A towering presence, Ford is known for his shot-stopping ability and is also comfortable with the ball at his feet, even playing as a striker for his school team. The only goalkeeper in the group, Ford was often behind Darlington Osuchukwu in the pecking order in recent years, but the latter’s expected move to Spain this summer has opened the door for Ford to fight for a spot in the U18s.
He may not see much of the pitch in his first year, though, as he battles with last summer’s signing Charlie Hardy.
Samuel O’Brien (Defender)
O’Brien is an industrious left-back who covers every blade of grass up and down the wing.
At the club since he was eight, he made his U18s debut last season, coming off the bench in a 1-2 loss to Sunderland. He is another who will face tough competition for his spot, and you can expect him to deputise for England youth international Jacob Watson throughout the season.
Harley Emsden-James (Defender)
A familiar name for keen academy followers, Emsden-James garnered media attention last summer when he was signed from Southampton for a reported fee of £1 million. A composed presence at the back, Emsden-James excels on the ball and under pressure, with similarities to United legend Rio Ferdinand.
Despite being the newest addition to the group, he immediately took up a leadership role in the team and shared captaincy duty throughout the season with Jacey Carrick. The defender had already made his U18s debut for Southampton as an U15 and made a further three appearances at the level in the red of United last season.
The defender has also received international recognition, most recently being capped for England’s U17s, including a starting role in a 5-2 win over the USA.
Idris Fabiyi (Defender)
Standout performances at last summer’s SuperCupNI showed glimpses of what Fabiyi is capable of, but an unfortunate injury saw him sidelined for the tournament’s final and much of the 2025/26 season.
Despite the injury issues, the club are hopeful for the left-footed centre-back, who has been at the club since U9s. Fabiyi has not played at international level yet but is eligible for both England and Nigeria.
Gazimagamed Ibragimov (Defender)
Known by teammates as Gazik, the physical centre-back is the younger brother of U21s star Amir Ibragimov and older brother of United’s U15s striker Mo Ibragimov. Ibragimov moved to England at a young age from Russia and initially had short spells at Sheffield United and Manchester City before joining his older brother at United.
True to his Dagestani roots, he is a no-nonsense centre-back who loves a physical fight with a striker. He made his U18s debut in the final league match of last season against Sunderland.
Connor Laurie (Defender)
Another left-footed centre-back, Laurie has yet to make his U18s debut after a year of being in and out with injuries, but the defender has impressed in the past, particularly in his U15s year when the team were crowned national champions.
Jaume Camacho Sidos (Midfielder)
A technically adept player, his flexibility has seen him play across a range of positions, with central midfield and right-back being the main two. A jack-of-all-trades of sorts, he possesses both great skill on the ball and also the physicality to get around the pitch.
A Catalonia native, he is a big Barcelona fan and may be recognised from the club’s Lifeblood series last year, when he got the chance to speak to Sir Alex Ferguson and cheekily mentioned the Spanish club’s Champions League triumph. Initially joining Manchester City after making the move to England, United enticed Camacho across the city, and more recently his younger brother has made the same switch.
Camacho made two league appearances for United’s U18s last season against Burnley and Sunderland.
Jacey Carrick (Midfielder)
A name steeped in history at United, Carrick is the son of United legend and current first-team head coach Michael Carrick.
The resemblance to his father goes beyond the name, though, as he strikes a very similar figure on the pitch. A tall and rangy midfielder, he glides across the pitch with grace and uses his intelligence to shield the backline and play line-breaking passes just as his father did.
With experience at centre-back as well, the young Carrick excels in every phase of the pitch, including the final third, with a great set-piece delivery. Often captaining United’s U16s last season, Carrick has made one appearance for the U18s, and his talent has also been spotted by the England youth setup, who have named him on standby lists after attending an U15s talent ID camp in 2024.
Harlem McLaughlin (Midfielder)
A Scotland youth international, McLaughlin has already been capped at U17s level, where he scored a stunning goal against Poland on his debut. Yet to feature for United’s U18s, McLaughlin is a skilful midfielder who likes to get forward and recently excelled at the Experia NEC Nijmegen Cup, an U17s tournament in the Netherlands.
Pharell Silvester (Midfielder)
Despite being the smallest player in the group, Silvester’s class on the ball stands out amongst his peers, with a great level of ball control and an ability to operate in tight spaces. He also has a knack for finishing around the box, scoring a well-taken goal last summer on the U16s Hong Kong tour.
Physically behind his peers, the club expect him to hit a late growth spurt similar to the likes of Shea Lacey and Jesse Lingard before him. As such, the diminutive attacking midfielder may not see regular playing time in his first season at U18s level, but the club’s faith in him is evidenced by already agreeing a four-year deal.
England have also been impressed with his talent, including him in a talent ID camp at U15s level.
Emmanuel Ziro (Midfielder)
Signed at the end of 2024 from West London-based Cre8tive Football Academy, Ziro is one of a number of talents to come through the grassroots club before earning a move to a professional academy. Possessing a raw street-baller style, Ziro excels at getting the ball down and running at defenders as either a ten or on both wings.
Jodie Nganga (Midfielder)
Signed from Liverpool, Nganga is a box-to-box midfielder who uses his sizable frame to get up and down the pitch and dominate midfields physically, including a standout performance against Rangers at last year’s SuperCupNI.
Kai Rooney (Forward)
The most recognisable name in the group, he is the son of United legend Wayne Rooney. While possessing the same grit and determination as his father, Kai prefers to operate from the right wing and cut in onto his left foot.
Possessing a thunderous shot off of said left boot, Rooney has been a key figure for the group as they won back-to-back national titles at U14s and U15s level. The group were unable to defend their title at U16s level, due in large part to Rooney missing the group stage due to injury.
Rooney has already made a big impact at U18s level with four goals in limited playing time and can be expected to be one of the key players in the upcoming season.
Edson Dejonge-Seiros (Forward)
A winger with blistering pace, he is one to get fans off their seats with his dribbling. He is eligible for England, Portugal, and Angola on the international stage and has been with United since a young age.
Camron Mpofu (Forward)
Signed from Reading two years ago, Mpofu is the second Scotland youth international in the group alongside McLaughlin. He is also eligible for England and Zimbabwe.
A physical striker, he has pace and power to threaten defenders and has made two appearances already for the U18s.
Photo by Miguel Saddi Vitorino via Pexels.com
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