Manchester United boast a proud history of nurturing academy prospects and transforming them into global superstars.
Unfortunately, the first team have failed to meet expectations due to their mediocre performances over the last decade.
For young stars to thrive, stability is key, something United have sorely lacked.
Here we look at the possible Man United XI with the academy stars who left the club over the last five years.
Goalkeeper
Dean Henderson
Henderson arrived at United at just 14, but found himself stuck in David de Gea’s shadow, managing only 13 senior outings.
Crystal Palace signed him for a fee of £15 million in the summer of 2023.
He has been a solid addition to their side and won over the fans after helping the Eagles win the FA Cup earlier this year.
Defence
Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Willy Kambwala, Axel Tuanzebe, Alvaro Carreras
Fosu-Mensah played 30 times for the United senior set-up before sealing a permanent switch to Bayer Leverkusen.
He has been without a club since July 2024.
Tuanzebe etched his name in memory with a sensational shut-down job on Kylian Mbappe in Paris back in 2020.
Persistent injuries cruelly robbed him of consistency and a United career.
Kambwala looked a solid young centre-back but United opted to sell him for £9.6m to balance their books in 2024.
Not handing Alvaro Carreras an opportunity in the first team will go down as the biggest mistake made by former manager Erik ten Hag.
The gifted left-back secured a dream switch to Real Madrid this summer and is already dazzling in La Liga.
Midfield
James Garner, Hannibal Mejbri, Scott Mctominay
Garner brought a 13-year United journey to an end in 2022 when he joined Everton.
Loan spells at Nottingham Forest showed promise, but he never quite convinced United he could reach the level required.
He is enjoying a good start to this campaign with the Toffees and will hope to finally meet his potential.
Hannibal Mejbri arrived in 2019 but left with just 13 appearances to his name.
Burnley signed him for £5.4m in 2024, with additional sell-on and buy-back clauses.
Still only 22, he has time on his side to refine his game and live up to the hype that once surrounded him.
McTominay needs no introduction.
He was a player who embodied the very spirit of United.
Despite criticism from pundits and a section of fans alike, he never stopped fighting for the badge.
After being sold to Napoli, he stunned Serie A by scooping MVP honours in his debut season.
Letting him go just as he hit his peak looks a huge misstep from United.
Attack
Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Elanga
Marcus Rashford exploded onto the scene under Louis van Gaal and became the poster boy of United’s academy.
Gifted enough to conquer the world, Rashford shone at Old Trafford but never quite lived up to fan expectations of being the man to restore the glory years.
The club offloaded him to Barcelona on a loan deal, with the Catalan giants expected to sign him permanently next summer.
Alejandro Garnacho was adored like a young Ronaldo, with United fans amazed by his flair and trickery.
However, the Argentina international got ahead of himself and lost his head.
The club did not stand in the way of his desire to join Chelsea this summer.
Anthony Elanga climbed the ranks but looked too raw when handed first-team chances.
With stronger guidance and stability, his development could have accelerated far quicker.
He left United to move to Nottingham Forest and is now shining at Newcastle United.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
