Manchester United are closing in on a new professional contract for academy winger Noah Ajayi, according to Sky Sports. The 17-year-old, who had entered the final year of his scholarship deal, looks set to commit his long-term future to Old Trafford.
A timely retention amid academy upheaval
United endured a testing summer on the academy front, losing highly rated prospects James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye to Arsenal. The club offset those departures by agreeing a deal for Liverpool youngster Isaac Konde, and Ajayi’s expected signature adds further reassurance that Carrington remains an attractive place for emerging talent to develop.
The timing feels particularly significant. United have also been dealing with reports that highly rated teenager JJ Gabriel wants to leave the club, with several European heavyweights said to be monitoring his situation closely. Tying down Ajayi offers United a welcome counterbalance, signalling to other academy prospects that a genuine pathway to the first team still exists at the club.
Ajayi’s rise through the ranks
Born in Hamburg, Ajayi moved to England at the age of ten and joined United’s academy, later signing scholarship terms in 2025. He has quickly become one of the club’s most exciting attacking talents, contributing goals and assists consistently for the Under-18s and Under-21s. An ankle injury disrupted the start of his current campaign, but he marked his return with a goal, suggesting he is back to full sharpness at exactly the right moment.
My take
This looks like sensible business from United. Retaining a player who has already drawn interest from clubs across Europe, at a moment when confidence in the academy setup could easily waver, sends a reassuring message to the rest of the Carrington intake. Whether Ajayi can translate his youth-team form into genuine first-team involvement remains to be seen, but keeping him at the club gives Michael Carrick another option to monitor as the season progresses.
