Manchester United can always count on their outstanding youth academy. Even when things go rough for the first team, as they are right now for Erik ten Hag and his squad, there is always hope in the form of emerging superstars. Kobbie Mainoo is the next player to emerge from Carrington with a bright future, and after starting all seven Premier League games for United in 2024/25 after representing England at Euro 2024, it’s evident that he’s a “world-class” talent, according to football designer Liam Canning.

The next prodigy is already champing at the bit, eyes on the senior set-up. Man United might have a sweeping breadth of teenage quality, but there’s one young star who’s shining above all others in 16-year-old Chido Obi-Martin. Obi-Martin could be the next big thing Arsenal thought they had one of the most promising young strikers in the world to look forward to several years down the line, but Manchester United captured the teenage sensation in one fell swoop this summer in what points toward future prosperity at the Theatre of Dreams.

German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund both held a vested interest in the young baller this summer, but it was the Red Devils who ultimately prevailed and convinced Obi-Martin to cut his teeth within one of England’s foremost academies.

Obi-Martin has a total of 23 goals and three assists in just 20 games in the U18 Premier League, as well as 16 goals in 27 matches for Denmark’s separate young levels. He has the ability to reach great heights.

There is reason for United fans to be excited, as Obi-Martin hopes to continue his climb at Old Trafford over the following several seasons and make his senior debut within the next year or two. Believe it or not, he may not be the biggest talent on the club’s books, for fledgling phenomena. JJ Gabriel is riding the top of a wave, pointing to a future at the pinnacle of European football. JJ Gabriel might be Manchester United’s top talent.

Gabriel is only 14 years old, but he is already making strides toward success in Manchester United’s youth system. Because he is one of the best-rated players in England for his age group, the attack-minded teenager has recently been promoted to the U18s training squad.

He’s a wonderkid, really. Gabriel has a long way to go before (possibly) making his first-team debut at Old Trafford, but he’s on the right track, with coaches taken away by his potential and called the ‘child Messi’ due to his grace and intuitive ball skills.

Ten Hag has his doubters, no arguing against that, but he has won trophies in both of his periods at the head and also boasts a remarkable track record with the youth, having promoted a string of kids to the senior squad. Mainoo is the cream of the crop, but there are a slew of other players who have made an impression, including Omari Forson, who appeared seven times in 2023/24 and provided one assist, and Willy Kambwala, who established himself as an exciting defensive talent before moving to Villarreal in La Liga in June for a fe. Perhaps, just maybe, he can outperform the Red Devil star

The unexpected rise was not in line with the script. His well-documented debut as a first-team player at the age of 18 resulted in a slew of goals, although this was before he had established himself as a regular starter for the U21s.

Furthermore, Manchester United youth coach Paul McGuiness stated that the England star “had a little period, around 14 and 15, when he struggled,” owing primarily to development, which caused him to lose some of his innate coordination and technical flare. Rashford may be in a downward spiral right now, but he remains one of the best talents to come from the junior ranks in many years, with 135 goals and 71 assists throughout 413 professional matches, including two FA Cup trophies, one Europa League triumph, and a Carabao Cup victory.

Given that Gabriel is already being considered at a level appropriate for the U18s, it’s possible that consistent promising performances over the next few years will put him in excellent position to become a top-tier talent, possibly even surpassing Obi-Martin and becoming Carrington’s next big thing.

We all know Rashford has fallen off the wagon in recent years, but he will always be remembered as a precocious young diamond who burst onto the scene with fire and stunned the football world.

Gabriel, on the other hand, is a young footballer who has proven that he can more than hold his own against his senior counterparts. Man United may have found their indigenous hero to lead them to triumph in the coming years.