With Manchester United’s current midfield options looking quite slim in terms of quality going into the 2022-23 Premier League season, one academy star who could be given his chance to shine is 19-year-old Hannibal Mejbri.
There has been a lot of talk around the youngster’s name in recent times, with Hannibal joining the senior squad on this summer’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.
Speaking to Pro-Direct Soccer France, Hannibal said: “I said to myself, ‘oh yeah, I need to work hard!’ I didn’t come here for nothing, not to have on my CV: ‘I played for United’. I came to prove to the world that a young person from Paris, from the neighbourhood, can come and impose himself.
“And me… I’m ready to risk everything to succeed at United.”
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United paid €5 million for Hannibal in 2019 from French club Monaco and it was current football director John Murtough who went out to visit the young Tunisian to make the deal happen.
The Reds fought off competition from fellow Premier League side Arsenal, with Bayern Munich also said to have been interested in the midfielder at the time.
With Hannibal only having made three senior appearances for the club, United have not had to pay the further €5 million in add ons which was agreed with Monaco.
Hannibal has featured 16 times for Tunisia after representing France up until under 16s level.
In such a short space of time, the youngster has featured at both last year’s FIFA Arab Cup – where Tunisia were defeated by Algeria in the final in Qatar – and the Africa Cup of Nations that took place earlier in the year.
Hannibal has been tipped for big things, often starring when playing for United’s under 23s however, he does face competition from youngsters Zidane Iqbal and Charlie Savage who could also potentially make one of two midfield spots their own.
United have failed to secure the services of a central midfielder so far in this summer’s window, with the pursuit of Frenkie de Jong still ongoing, having entered a 13th week of negotiations.
The saga leaves Erik ten Hag with Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, Fred, Donny van de Beek, Scott McTominay, and James Garner as his midfield assets.
Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Ten Hag said: “We know what we want. It’s not about signing players, it’s about signing the right players, so we are actually planning it carefully – we are strict to that, hard working to get the right players in to construct a good squad.”
United welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford on Sunday, and Ten Hag will be hoping to get off to the best possible start to his Manchester United career.
Topics: Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag, Charlie Savage, Zidane Iqbal, AS Monaco
Aadam Haladh