Manchester United Academy Reshuffle: Scanlon and Ogunneye Target Arsenal Move

Manchester United are braced for a reshuffle in their academy as two of their more seasoned youngsters edge towards the exit – and towards a Premier League rival.

James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye, both on the fringes of senior football last season, are in talks over moves to Arsenal. Scanlon, a winger, and Ogunneye, a full-back, spent last term on loan in League Two with Swindon Town and Newport County respectively, gaining their first real taste of the professional game.

They did not feature in Michael Carrick’s pre-season plans, a clear sign of where they sit in the current pecking order. Fifteen academy players were named in United’s 25-man squad for the opening pre-season fixture against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July. Neither Scanlon nor Ogunneye made that list.

Ogunneye did get minutes for United’s Under-21s in a pre-season outing against Altrincham on 31 July, starting in defence as he continues to build his resume at that level. Scanlon, who already has 24 caps for Gibraltar and played in May’s Premier League 2 play-off final defeat to Brighton, missed that Altrincham game with a minor injury.

At 19 and 20, United still see room for growth in both players, but the pathway to the first team looks crowded. Arsenal, sensing opportunity, are exploring whether those next steps in their development might come in north London instead.

The movement is unlikely to stop there. Other Under-21 regulars with loan experience away from Old Trafford are also expected to be on the move before the transfer window closes on 1 September, as United continue to thin out an academy group that has been pushed closer to senior level – but not quite through the door.