Gary Pallister names three Manchester United youngsters who can break into Erik ten Hag’s team next season
Posted by  badge Boss on Jun 22, 2022 - 12:49PM
Ten Hag has youngsters ‘knocking on the door’, says Pallister (Picture: Getty)

Gary Pallister believes Alejandro Garnacho, James Garner and Hannibal Mejbri are all capable of breaking into Erik ten Hag’s side next season.

The new United boss is hopeful of bringing in a number of new signings as he sets about rebuilding a squad that finished the 2021-22 season so dismally in sixth place and without a trophy for the fifth straight year.

That squad could be bolstered further by the inclusion of a handful of young prospects who are hoping to follow the path recently taken by Anthony Elanga into the senior squad.

Garner is set to be assessed by ten Hag during in the coming weeks, having played a key role on loan at Nottingham Forest last term as they sealed promotion to the Premier League.

Fellow midfielder Mejbri meanwhile made two further senior appearances under Ralf Rangnick last season with both hoping to compete for midfield roles following the departures of Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Juan Mata this summer.

Garnacho hoping for first-team chances (Picture: Getty)

17-year-old forward Garnacho has perhaps generated the most excitement. The former Atletico Madrid youngster scored a number of eye-catching goals for United’s youth sides last season while also netting the winner in the FA Youth Cup final.

The youngster has also been in terrific scoring form this summer representing Argentina Under-20s, with Pallister predicting he could be fast-tracked into the senior set-up in the coming months.

‘He is at the right age and he is now doing it at international level,’ Pallister said of Garnacho, speaking to Metro.co.uk on behalf of .

‘He is certainly making a point for himself, you’ve also got James Garner back from his spell at Nottingham Forest, I’m sure he is the same boat. We’ve also got Hannibal Mejrbri, there are big expectations for him.

‘You would like to think these guys can push themselves into the reckoning. One of the first things Sir Alex [Ferguson] said when he first arrived was ‘you are all going to get a chance, you are going to have to prove to me that you are worthy of a start or a place in the squad.’

‘These guys will buoyed by what they did last season. Garner playing a role in a promotion-winning side, Hannibal making his debut, Garnacho scoring the FA Youth Cup-winning goal now playing for Argentina. They are making progress and they are giving Ten Hag options. They will be knocking on that door.

‘The squad needs hunger to be successful. You couldn’t say that about the team last season, there were so many abject performances when the heads went down and there was no real fight.

‘You just wonder how it manifested itself after the season they had before when they finished second. There has got to be reasons for that and its down to Erik Ten Hag to find out why it happened.’

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