Manchester United Academy Players in Talks with Arsenal

Manchester United’s academy is bracing for more change, with two of its more experienced youngsters in discussions over a switch to Arsenal.

Winger James Scanlon and full-back Habeeb Ogunneye, both coming off loan spells in League Two last season, are in talks with the North London club as they look for the next step in their careers. Scanlon spent time at Swindon, while Ogunneye had a stint with Newport, gaining their first real taste of senior football.

They did not play much. But at 19 and 20, United staff still see plenty of development left in both. That potential has drawn interest from Arsenal, who continue to aggressively stockpile emerging talent capable of bridging the gap between academy football and the first team.

Their absence from United’s pre-season plans under Michael Carrick felt telling. Fifteen academy players made the 25-man squad for the opening friendly against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July; neither Scanlon nor Ogunneye were among them.

Ogunneye did feature for United’s Under-21s in a pre-season outing against Altrincham on 31 July, starting in a side built around players on the fringes. Scanlon, capped 24 times by Gibraltar and involved in the Premier League 2 play-off final defeat to Brighton in May, missed that game with a minor injury.

The two are unlikely to be the only departures. Other players with substantial Under-21 experience, many of whom have already been out on loan, are also expected to move on before the 1 September transfer deadline, as United reshape the upper end of their academy and rivals circle for talent they believe is ready to grow elsewhere.