Manchester United have secured the future of academy forward Noah Ajayi by tying him down to a professional contract, with coaches viewing the 17-year-old as a genuine first-team prospect.
Ajayi impressed throughout last season, scoring nine goals and providing one assist in 25 academy appearances. He opened the scoring in the Premier League Cup final at Selhurst Park in April, finishing instinctively after JJ Gabriel had started the sweeping move by winning the ball near his own box.
Ajayi left that final with an injury in the second half, and Crystal Palace levelled in added time before winning on penalties. He was also on target in the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals against Sunderland at Old Trafford, picking the ball up close to the halfway line, bursting forward and finishing from distance.
A season of progress
The Under-18s were beaten in the FA Youth Cup final later in the campaign, but the season was still memorable for Gabriel, who was named Player of the Season for that age group. Although Ajayi did not collect individual awards, he was described as the unsung hero of the campaign.
After the Premier League Cup final, the Manchester Evening News reported: "There are shades of Marcus Rashford when Ajayi plays for United's academy. The way he glides on the left and finishes with a low shot is eerily similar to how Rashford played in a United shirt, and that is a huge compliment."
Academy sources have said they were "delighted" to secure Ajayi's future. The 6ft 2in forward is seen internally as part of the Under-21 squad this season, but coaches will decide week-by-week where the best challenge lies for him, which could mean playing down with the U18s or training with the first team.
Back in action
Ajayi missed the first few games of the season due to a minor injury but returned in mid-September, playing 23 minutes from the bench against Sabah in the UEFA Youth League. Gabriel scored a hat-trick in that game before wiping his social media and requesting to leave.
Two days later, as the U18s played league leaders Newcastle, Ajayi scored during a superb cameo, weaving through the defence before chipping the goalkeeper into the bottom corner. United eased him back into action before the international break, and he is expected to be ready to start games when domestic football resumes.
Off-pitch profile
Ajayi has German heritage and speaks German and English fluently, having joined United's academy aged 10. He attends Manchester Grammar School, a private school around half an hour's drive from Carrington, and has been described by sources as a "studious lad" who has taken pride in his studies.
He impressed academy staff by helping communicate with locals during a trip to Adidas HQ in Bavaria, with one source saying of that visit: "He was brilliant." Ajayi is described as a quietly confident person with a lot of self-belief.
His performances have put him on Michael Carrick's radar. Carrick made a 300-mile round trip to Oxford to watch the U18s in the Youth Cup last season when Ajayi scored from the bench within minutes, and was there again when he scored against Sunderland. Darren Fletcher has also been impressed, name-dropping Ajayi during an interview with the MEN earlier this year.
With Gabriel potentially leaving the club, Ajayi looks primed to step up in his absence and could be the next cab off the rank at United.
