Erik ten Hag has big plans with this Academy player this season

One of the few young Academy players left at Manchester United for this season is Zidane Iqbal, who is looking like he will stay this year at Old Trafford. It is being reported by Jonathan Shrager that Erik ten Hag is a big fan of the player and has no intention of loaning him out this summer because he counts with him for some games.

The reporter suggests that the Dutch manager wants the 19-year-old midfielder to stay so he can continue training with the senior squad, while also playing some games with the U-21 team. This way, he can still be playing football regularly, but at the same time, he can learn a few things while training with world-class players.

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The young player made his Manchester United senior debut on December 8th of last year in a Champions League match against Young Boys which ended up in a draw with Ralf Rangnick as the manager. Zidane was only 18 years old at that time and was very excited following his debut with the team he loves, but he never played again that season.

With Erik ten Hag’s arrival in the summer, Zidane Iqbal played a few games during the pre-season tour and had surprising performances against Melbourne City and Liverpool. The midfielder has even played for Irak’s national team since January after he chose his mother’s roots over England, despite being born in Manchester.

Other Academy players

In contrast to Zidane Iqbal, other Academy players have recently left the club this summer. Alvaro Fernandez, Hannibal Mejbri, and Dean Henderson have been loaned out for the rest of the season. Tahith Chong and James Garner could be on their way out too, but they would leave permanent transfers.