Manchester United academy notebook: Transfer interest in rising star and huge injury boost

This week’s Man Utd academy notebook, bringing you the latest news, reaction and views around the club’s youth system.

06:00, 21 May 2026

Manchester United’s academy season has concluded. The campaign was overwhelmingly positive for the Under-21 and Under-18 teams, who both came close to winning a trophy but just fell short.

The Manchester Evening News provides extensive coverage of United’s academy, and the academy notebook has been relaunched to offer readers the latest news, reaction and views on the youth system.

This week’s edition includes details on United’s interest in a rising talent at Leicester, an injury update on an exciting young defender, and offers an insight into Stephen Torpey’s role.

Click here to find out the latest Manchester United news in our daily newsletter

Interest in Leicester talent

United have tracked teenager Jeremy Monga, who is expected to be sold by Leicester City this summer to raise cash after their relegation to the third tier. Monga is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in the English game and has received attention from most Premier League clubs.

The Reds have held talks with Leicester over a possible move for Monga. Interested clubs have sensed an opportunity after Leicester’s relegation, but a £15million price tag has been mentioned.

Monga has been tipped to reach the top of the game since he became the second youngest player in Premier League history when he played for Leicester against Newcastle last year. He will celebrate his 17th birthday in July.

If United intend to advance in talks for Monga, they will face stiff competition, with Arsenal said to be in pole position to secure his signature. The winger impressed across 30 appearances for Leicester this season, so it’s no wonder he has been tracked by England’s biggest clubs.

Amass injury update

Harry Amass was outstanding on loan at Sheffield Wednesday in the first half of the Championship season. He was set up for another positive spell with Norwich City after signing for the Canaries in January, but disaster struck shortly after he arrived when he picked up a hamstring injury.

The injury denied Amass the chance to show what he could do at Carrow Road, and he returned to Manchester for treatment because United wanted him to undergo his rehabilitation at Carrington.

The good news is that Amass’ recovery has gone well, and it’s understood he is set to be fit for the beginning of United’s pre-season, which usually begins with training in the first week of July.

Torpey’s impact

It was interesting to see the head of the academy, Torpey, speaking to Jack Moorhouse outside the changing rooms after the Under-21s beat Manchester City at the Joie Stadium earlier this month.

It’s certainly not unusual for a head of an academy to chat with players after a match, but Torpey appeared to be passing along detailed feedback on Moorhouse’s performance and what he could do better. Moorhouse nodded along and walked away with a smile on his face.

Before Torpey worked for Brentford, he worked as Manchester City’s head of coaching between the Under-15 and Under-23 age groups, and he is naturally involved with coaching in his relatively new role as United academy boss.

Jim Thwaites also mentioned Torpey’s hands-on approach when he sat down for an interview with myself and the BBC’s Simon Stone, saying: “Obviously Stephen Torpey has helped me a lot to understand all three midfield positions.”

Torpey has clearly been a hit with the academy players since his appointment.

Academy facility latest

The update on the refurbishment of the academy facilities is: there is none. In October, United announced that the academy building at Carrington would be redeveloped, outlining that talks would accelerate with Torpey in place.

Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada are understood to be ‘determined’ to improve the academy and make it the best in the world, and they decided the facilities need to be improved. Torpey also spoke about needing to refurbish the facilities when he sat down for an interview in March.

When United announced their plans to refurbish the academy building seven months ago, staff discussed how the U21s and U18s would temporarily use the modular building, a two-storey block behind the main building. The women’s team used the same set-up during the £10m redevelopment of their facilities at Carrington.

The plan was to bring academy facilities in line with the ‘leading standards’ United now have for the first-team, however, the work to refurbish the facilities is still in the planning phase.

Ibragimov’s decision

The Manchester Evening News reported last week that Amir Ibragimov was weighing up his international future after being included in Russia’s provisional squad for friendlies against Egypt, Burkina Faso and Trinidad and Tobago.

Ibragimov has decided to join up with Russia’s senior national team for the first time for their upcoming friendlies. The youngster had previously played for England’s youth teams, and some fans have questioned his decision, given that Russia are banned from competitive international fixtures following the invasion of Ukraine.

The decision is much easier to understand when you consider Ibragimov’s journey, though. He was born in Dagestan, Russia, and moved to England with his family, initially playing for Sheffield United’s academy.

Ibragimov is proud of his dual heritage and has thoroughly enjoyed playing for England’s youth teams, but he will join up with Russia’s senior team because he feels more connected to the nation through his family.

His elder brother, Ibragim, is a professional mixed martial arts fighter, and their family are close to legendary UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov. Those who are raised in Dagestan are proud of their roots.