How the 19 Man Utd loanees are faring in 2022-23: Diallo, Hannibal, Shoretire…
Like plenty of other elite clubs, Manchester United have a huge playing squad and so it is inevitable that some of them get sent out on loan to play regular first-team football.
Erik ten Hag has United heading in the right direction and it’s fair to say that they have plenty of exciting players currently coming through their ranks.
We’ve looked into the 19 players sent out on loan from United and assessed how they have done in the 2022-23 season so far.
Dean Henderson (Nottingham Forest)
Henderson was keen to leave United on loan in the summer in order to gain more first-team experience in the Premier League and he has got just that at the City Ground.
There’s no doubt that Forest have had a tough season so far, but Henderson proved his worth in goal with a number of key saves in their relegation battle.
However, opportunities may be limited from this point on. The 25-year-old suffered a thigh injury in January and may struggle to regain his place following the loan signing of multiple Champions League winner Keylor Navas.
Alvaro Fernandez (Preston North End)
Fernandez has taken to Championship football with relative ease. The Spanish defender has been utilised as a left wing-back in a 3-5-2 system at Preston.
His attacking qualities have been obvious to see as he has produced four assists already this season. The 19-year-old will regularly skip around defenders and look to deliver a cut-back across the box.
One worth keeping an eye on.
READ: Man Utd’s Alvaro Fernandez is a born entertainer; this filthy spin proves it
Alex Telles (Sevilla)
Telles was sent on loan to Sevilla after United had brought in Tyrell Malacia to fill their left-back position. The Brazilian defender has been competing with Argentinian World Cup winner Marcos Acuna for the left-back spot in Jorge Sampaoli’s side.
The Man United loanee has played a total of 23 matches for Sevilla, with 13 of those appearances being starts. Telles has produced three assists in a side that has struggled to find their form. Sevilla currently sit 17th in La Liga after a poor start.
Ethan Laird (Queens Park Rangers)
The right-back has impressed at Loftus Road and has three goal contributions this season.
However, it’s been a tough season for QPR, who’ve gone from play-off contenders to relegation battlers since the departure of influential coach Michael Beale to Rangers.
“My job’s to say ‘I want that player’, and obviously I’m actually delighted that the club were able to get him [Laird] in,” Beale explained via West London Sport last summer.
“At this moment in time, the boy’s absolutely delighted to be here. He’s loving it, you can tell that on and off the pitch.”
Ethan Laird’s assist for QPR on Tuesday night 🎥 pic.twitter.com/KcksPvIOWB
— academyarena Utd (@academyarenaUTD) October 6, 2022
Dermot Mee (Altrincham)
Twenty-year-old Mee joined National League side Altrincham on a short-term loan deal until January.
The Northern Ireland youth international featured in four matches, conceding 11 goals, before returning to his parent club in the mid-season window.
Eric Bailly (Marseille)
Given that he had only appeared in four Premier League matches last season, a loan move made sense for Bailly. His time at Old Trafford has been hit by injuries and this season has been no different.
In total, he has played 14 matches for Marseille this season, with five of those appearances coming in the Champions League. Since moving to France he’s been regularly sidelined and was most recently seen in a 3-0 loss to league leaders PSG.
Hannibal Mejbri (Birmingham City)
The Tunisia international only made a handful of first-team appearances for Manchester United but always caught the eye with his tenacity.
Blues manager John Eustace has been impressed with the youngster claiming: “The way he has played in the last couple of games has been phenomenal. He has broken records for total distance, all that kind of stuff,” via BirminghamLive.
The highlight of his stint at St. Andrew’s was this wonderfully audacious free-kick against West Brom
"It's absolutely CLASS!" 🤩
Hannibal Mejbri with a superb freekick for Birmingham! ☄️ pic.twitter.com/47qWuxIZ5i
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 10, 2023
Amad Diallo (Sunderland)
After a tricky loan spell with Rangers last season Diallo is now showcasing his class for Sunderland in the Championship.
With eight goals and two assists in 28 appearances, he’s been one of the Black Cats’ standout players in their surprise play-off push.
Will Fish (Hibernian)
“For me, most importantly it was good to get some game time. I have not had a great deal over the last few months so it is good to get that sharpness back in the legs,” Fish told HibsTV after featuring in a mid-season friendly.
“We’ve been working hard in training, focussing on our high press and winning the ball back quickly – I thought we implemented it quite well and we came in 1-0 up at half-time.”
The defender had only made a couple of appearances prior to the World Cup break but has featured more prominently since then, even cropping up with a couple of goals in wins over Aberdeen and Kilmarnock.
Ethan Galbraith (Salford City)
After spending last season on loan with Doncaster Rovers, Galbraith is now with Salford City for the season in League Two.
The midfielder has featured in 25 matches for the Class of ’92-backed outfit and has notched four goals and two assists.
Ethan Galbraith’s goal for Salford vs Hartlepool United pic.twitter.com/Jyjy2u38Zo
— academyarena Utd (@academyarenaUTD) October 26, 2022
Charlie Wellens (Oldham Athletic)
Son of former Carrington academy graduate and Football League stalwart Richie Wellens, young right-back Charlie got his first experience of senior football out on loan at Oldham earlier this season.
He scored in a 3-2 victory over Eastleigh but only made a handful of appearances before returning to his parent club in January.
Wellens is currently continuing his development with Mark Dempsey’s Under-21s.
Matej Kovar (Sparta Prague)
Kovar has previously had loan spells with Swindon Town and Burton Albion in League One and he is now stepping up his development with a spell at Sparta Prague in the Czech First League.
The goalkeeper has been used in 15 league matches this season and has conceded 17 goals and kept five clean sheets.
Shola Shoretire (Bolton Wanderers)
Highly-rated youngster Shoretire went out to League One side Bolton in January in search of first-team experience.
He’s been a regular for Ian Evatt’s side, making nine starts in the third tier already, but is yet to score or assist.
READ: 9 January transfers you might have missed: Kagawa, Shoretire, Thauvin…
Charlie McNeill (Newport County)
Wildly prolific at youth level, big things are expected of the local lad.
He’s made seven appearances for League Two side Newport since joining in January. The striker is yet to open his account but it’s surely a matter of time.
Axel Tuanzebe (Stoke City)
Having barely featured throughout 2022 after struggling to find minutes out on loan at Napoli last season, Tuanzebe will be hoping a stint at Stoke City brings with it a return to form and fitness.
“Axel’s obviously a top player, it’s just his tolerance levels in terms of what his body can get through, that’s going to be the question,” Potters boss Alex Neil said after the centre-back made his first start in over a year in a 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Brighton.
“He’s been in really good shape. I thought his performance was excellent against top opponents, considering that’s his first proper game in I think 14 months. I think he deserves huge amounts of credit.
“His tolerance levels are unknown – it’s not as if it’s a problem I foresee for Axel, he may well go and rattle out the rest of the games until the end of the season.
“But ultimately, when you’ve been out for 14 months, how much can your body handle before it starts to break itself down? I know how you try to manage players back, to try to make sure we don’t over-expose them.”
A second start remains forthcoming. Watch this space.
Maxi Oyedele (Altrincham)
One of three academy starlets sent out on loan to local non-league side Altrincham in January, Poland Under-19 midfielder Oyedele has made a bright start with two goals in five appearances in the National League.
“Each of the players will continue to train with United’s Under-21s and Under-18s groups whilst benefiting from the experience and challenges of non-league football intermittently throughout the remainder of the season,” read a United statement of the ‘innovative’ loan scheme.
“The opportunity to still train and play games for the Academy means that the players will benefit from a bespoke and flexible programme with coaches able to make decisions on their schedule week-by-week.”
Sonny Aljofree (Altrincham)
The Plymouth-born 18-year-old defender is the son of United youth coach Hasney Aljofree and has joined Oyedele out on loan at Altrincham.
He’s still awaiting his National League debut at the time of writing.
Joe Hugill (Altrincham)
The striker, who has trained alongside the senior squad and featured alongside Alejandro Garnacho as United’s Under-18s won the FA Youth Cup last season is the third of the trio to join Altrincham on loan mid-season – and quite the coup at that.
The teenage centre-forward scored eight goals in eight appearances in the Premier League 2 in the first half of the season, but is yet to make his Altrincham debut.
Tom Wooster (Ramsbottom United)
In February, the 17-year-old goalkeeper joined non-league Ramsbottom until the end of the 2022-23 season.
He saved a crucial penalty on his debut, earning his side a vital point against Workington.
“Tom has settled in really well with the group in the two weeks that he’s been here,” manager Lee Doanfee said of the highly-rated young prospect, who was named Barnsley’s Academy Player of the Year before joining United’s youth ranks back in 2021.
“Making your debut away to Workington is always going to be a tough test, but I felt it was one that he came through with his head held high. Credit to him as his individual performance was very good and one that was matched by the rest of the lads”.
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