Manchester United have confirmed the signing of two midfielders from Manchester City and a forward from Liverpool, just a fortnight after criticism that the club was no longer attractive to the best young talent following JJ Gabriel's request to leave.
The trio are Karrim Cassim, David Eze and Isaac Konde. United are due to announce Eze's signing on Saturday morning, while Premier League ratification has been received for Konde's move.
Losing Gabriel will be a colossal blow, especially as he recently visited Spain for talks with Real Madrid and Barcelona. However, United have had a homegrown player in every matchday squad since October 30, 1937, and continue to nurture talent.
Gabriel's situation and academy progress
Gabriel, who is 15, has dominated headlines for two weeks. He will celebrate his 16th birthday on October 6, which will allow him to move to Spain due to his European passport. United had carefully handled media enquiries around the teenager since he joined.
Despite the distraction, the academy has continued to perform. The Under-21s won against Brentford before the international break, making the best start in Premier League 2 with three wins from three. The Under-18s entered the break six points off leaders City.
Post-Brexit recruitment changes
These signings have been months in the making. Brexit changed academy recruitment, as before Britain left the EU, academies could sign players aged 16 or over with European passports. Previously, there was an unspoken rule between the top six academies not to poach each other's talent, but now foreign players cannot join British clubs until they are 18, limiting recruitment to the UK.
United pointed to their pathway to persuade Cassim, Eze and Konde to move. Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford started against Fulham last weekend, while Shea Lacey opened the scoring against Brighton a few days earlier.
Enhanced signing experience
United have made their academy announcements more theatrical, with sources saying they want to give young players and their families "an enhanced experience" on signing day. Cassim received a guided tour of Old Trafford and footage showed him receiving his club blazer, a proud tradition.
The blazers have a Latin inscription, 'Concilio et Labore', translating roughly as 'Wisdom and Effort', with three diagonal stripes signifying the rivers Irwell, Irk and Medlock.
Former academy director Nick Cox told the Manchester Evening News two years ago: "It's a massive thing, the blazers and the badge are a tribute to everybody who came before us. For the staff, you're walking in the footsteps of Jimmy Murphy, for the players you're walking in an endless list of greats. When you pull the blazer on, that's what connects us to the history."
Academy leadership and future plans
Stephen Torpey, who succeeded Cox last year, said at an event: "To be successful at Old Trafford on that pitch, you're going to have to show courage that deserves to wear this blazer with pride."
Torpey believes the academy is on the right path, and no knee-jerk decisions will be made if Gabriel goes. Academy insiders have described reports of a 'replacement' signing as inaccurate, noting the academy has a well-thought-out recruitment strategy.
Last October, United announced the academy building would be redeveloped, but there has been no update for 11 months. The work is understood to be in the early planning phase. Torpey told the Manchester Evening News in March: "I want to help us be the greatest academy in the world and do it in a way that we can be proud of, which is with clear processes, a method about the way we do things, with the best people."
United may lose Gabriel, but the academy will go on as it always has.
