Manchester United secure triple academy signings from rivals

By Tunde Adeyemi — 22 July 2026 — 3 min read

Manchester United has reportedly secured the signings of three young talents from rival clubs, Manchester City and Liverpool. The players involved are Isaac Konde from Liverpool, and David Eze and Karim Cassim from Manchester City. These acquisitions are expected to bolster United’s academy ranks, particularly the Under-18s squad.

Reports indicate that Manchester United had been actively pursuing Eze, a 16-year-old midfielder, and had previously given him a tour of their Carrington training facilities. The club has now reportedly won the race for his signature, along with those of Konde and Cassim. Eze is recognized as a standout talent in English football, known for his technical ability as an attacking midfielder.

Eze, who was born in Dublin and moved to Manchester at the age of six, has already featured at the Under-17 level and captained England’s Under-16 side on multiple occasions. Despite his representation for England at youth level, he maintains strong ties to Ireland and is reportedly open to representing the Republic of Ireland in the future. He is described as a complete modern box-to-box midfielder, capable of driving forward, escaping pressure, and distributing the ball effectively, while also demonstrating leadership qualities.

Konde and Cassim have also gained experience playing Under-18s football for their respective former clubs, Liverpool and Manchester City. Konde is versatile, able to play as a striker or a left-winger, while Cassim typically plays in a slightly deeper midfield role than Eze. All three players, despite being 16, could join Darren Fletcher’s Under-18s squad for the upcoming season.

Strengthening the Academy

The pursuit of Eze and Cassim highlights Manchester United’s strategy to recruit some of the country’s most promising young players. This approach aims to strengthen the pathway from the club’s academy to the first team. The deal for Eze is reportedly complete, and negotiations for Cassim are said to be very advanced, indicating a potential double academy swoop from their local rivals, Manchester City.

These new additions could fill a potential void in the Under-18s squad. JJ Gabriel, who largely played as an attacking midfielder last season, also covered centre-forward and the left flank. Gabriel was recently pictured in Manchester United first-team training ahead of the club’s second pre-season match against Rosenborg. There have been previous reports suggesting he could be involved with the first team before the end of the 2026/27 season.

If Gabriel makes the step up to Michael Carrick’s first team, Konde, Cassim, and Eze would be looking to fill the roles he might leave in the Under-18s. Their combined talents, alongside existing players at Carrington, are expected to help Manchester United remain competitive at the top of the Under-18 Premier League North.

First-Team Opportunities and Other Transfers

Gabriel is reportedly under consideration to travel to Norway for United’s pre-season match against Rosenborg, where a debut could be possible. Carrick made 11 changes at half-time during the recent match against Wrexham, and a similar rotation is anticipated against Rosenborg. This could create an opportunity for Gabriel, particularly given that Toby Collyer, who played as an attacking midfielder against Wrexham, is not a natural attacker.

Gabriel could also potentially play on the left flank, though he would need to displace Ethan Williams, as Patrick Dorgu is considered unlikely to be dropped from the starting side. The reported transfers from Manchester City are seen as a significant statement, especially with Eze arriving directly from a local rival.

While Manchester United has been successful in securing these young talents, they reportedly missed out on another academy target, Blake Henry, who is set to join Chelsea. Henry was initially close to joining United but ultimately chose a move to London. Despite recruitment restrictions, Chelsea is able to bring Henry in, and he is expected to become eligible to play in late November.

The reported double transfer from Manchester City has also garnered attention in the market for the 2026-27 EPL Championship. Implied probabilities suggest a potential strengthening of Manchester United’s title chances, although this information originated from a social media source. Market participants are closely monitoring official confirmations from both clubs regarding the identities of the transferred players.

Source: roundtable.io