The ease with which Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho have slotted in to the Manchester United first team squad makes it seem like an easy process, but the vast majority of even the most talented academy stars do not manage to make that leap.
It now looks as if another gifted youngster who looked destined to make that transition has run out of time to make the grade.
Still only 20, Shola Shoretire has been on the fringes of the first team for a long time, making his debut three seasons ago in a two-minute cameo against Newcastle in the Premier League, aged just 17 years and 14 days, followed by 12 minutes in a Europa League tie against Real Sociedad, which made him the youngest player ever to represent United in European competition, and eight minutes against Wolves in United’s final Premier League game of the season.
Progress was slow in the following campaign, which saw him play 22 minutes of a Champions League tie against Young Boys and another 15 minutes against Crystal Palace, again in the final game of the Premier League.
2022/23 saw the arrival of Erik ten Hag as United manager, who gave Shoretire even fewer chances than his predecessors – zero, in fact. The then 18 year old was sent on loan to Bolton Wanderers in January, where he did reasonably well without setting the world on fire.
For reasons best known to Ten Hag, 2023/24 was a complete waste for Shoretire, who was not given a single minute in the first XI nor sent out on loan because Ten Hag wanted to “personally oversee his development”.
With this backward trajectory, it is no wonder that Manchester World are reporting the imminent departure of the talented Newcastle-born man.
Reporter Rich Fay says that Shoretire “looks set to depart Manchester United as a free agent despite being offered a new contract by the club.”
Fay says Shoretire has been “locked in transfer talks with the club” for months and that “while United are still hoping a late agreement can be reached, there is a growing expectation he will leave for free once his contract expires at the end of the week.”
In truth it is hard to see why United want Shoretire to stay, unless it is simply to protect his value. Ten Hag clearly found no use for him even in an injury-ravaged season, which hardly bodes well.
No United fan would blame the talented star for moving on at this stage after two of the most important years of his football life have been botched by United.
The example of Angel Gomes, whose career was similarly stuttering until he took the brave decision to leave United, could be an inspiring one for Shoretire. Gomes is now one of Ligue 1’s rising stars and has a market value of €25 million due to his sensational performances for Lille.
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